Vacation Self

Big Fan #3

by Alexandra Romanoff

In the long-awaited third book in the Big Fan series, love comes for Mischief band member Ramsey, a reformed rake, and Maggie, an overworked florist.

This is Maggie’s first real vacation in years. She’s checking into a tucked-away Vermont enclave, and for once, she isn’t compulsively responding to work emails or taking on a last-minute floral job. All she wants is time to herself.

But what she gets is a run-in with Jake Ramsey, a onetime hard-partying pop star in recovery who's spiraling about his own life in the aftermath of his best friend Charlie’s wedding.

Are Maggie and Jake providing each other with much-needed distraction—or are they showing each other a way out of the woods?

Genres: Romance, Audiobook, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Autumn, Adult

208 pages, Paperback

Published August 25, 2026

Reviews

[Taylor]

Finishing this while getting my first pedicure of the summer… bliss

[Sara Fikse]

literary equivalent to the “out of the woods” bridge minus the twenty stitches and the hospital room

[Hannah]

This was the perfect addition to the Big Fan universe! I loved seeing more of Jake/Ramsey and getting to meet Maggie!!! Maggie is the sweetest character! I absolutely loved that she was an FMC in her 40s it was so refreshing to see such a sweet romance where the main characters weren’t in their 20s.

Jake and Maggie have the sweetest chemistry and it’s so believable and well done even though they meet on a short vacation. Their communication is so so good and they’re both just such lovable main characters.

Even though this is just a novella it does such an incredible job at tackling difficult topics such as sobriety and having an identity crisis in your 40s. Alexandra is truly gifted and I love this world that she’s created.

I highly recommend reading this whole Big Fan collection. It’s so incredibly well done and each installment does a wonderful job at holding its own in the series. I think Vacation Self would be so perfect to read on vacation and I can’t wait for all of you to get your hands on it!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and 831 Stories for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

[lili]

made me feel not crazy about being almost in love with a guy i casually dated

[char !!]

edit: just saw this is up on netgalley god im about to be so insufferable until i get that arccccc



i'm seated. this book isn't even released until august 2026 but im simply too seated.

this is the big fan sequel we needed sorry square waves

[Amy Dickinson]

I never want to leave this literary universe behind. The world of Big Fan is so brilliantly fun and smart and hot and I loved seeing another side of Jake/Ramsey and meeting Maggie. As always, the plot and chemistry and character growth is so well done even in a short novella, but I would also love to have a full length book to delve into these characters - I did NOT want it to be over.

Thanks to 831 Stories and Edelweiss for the ARC.

[Tiffany]

thank you to alexandra romanoff, 831 stories and netgalley for this e-arc !

It was okay and was really cute sometimes. In this third installment, we follow another member of the fictional band mischief finding himself and finding love with an age appropriate woman (which I really appreciate, I really don’t like age gap romances).

I found it okay, not ground breaking but I had a good time reading it, I did read it in one seating.
The problem in this one for me it that we rely to much on the presence of other characters from past books (Charlie & Maya) and even though Big Fan is my favorite of this series, they don’t appear for the reasons we liked them for in this book and their presence was a bit forced in my opinion. And they appear so much, they kind of take the spotlight away from the main characters. We don’t really get to know Jake for who he is without Charlie and mischief being mentioned all the time. And okay I get that this is the point since he’s in recovery and mischief being the reason of his addiction and recovery it makes sense that it’s being mentioned so much, but I found that it was overkill.

Also the romance didn’t make much sense to me, I found that they didn’t really knew each other, their conversation weren’t deep enough to form a real connection ? I didn’t really connect with them in that way, and found the plot a washed up version of Big Fan (fundraiser and all).

I still had a good time though !

[kerry]

Thank you to NetGalley and 831 Stories for this eARC in exchange for my honest opinions!

This is the third book in the “Big Fan” series and while not necessary to read the previous two, it’s recommended because they’re good!

Maggie is a NYC florist who is seriously burnt out with her mega rich and demanding clients. She decides a Vermont vacation is just what will cure her. While there she meets Jake Ramsey, former boyband member who is now sober and lives in the resort town.

Sparks fly almost immediately and these two are drawn together. I love how because maybe they’re both older but they don’t second guess their sudden attraction and give in to their desires. There is a third act break up but it feels warranted because they both needed time apart to really figure out what they wanted.

[kailin]

4.5★
i really love a romance where our characters realize they’re allowed to want more out of their lives and to watch them make changes that lead to the fuller life they’ve been dreaming of. i loved big fan, so i’m happy to be back in the world of mischief.

vacation self follows maggie as she spends a week on vacation (ofc) where her only plans are to do whatever she wants and avoid anything and everything related to her job. almost immediately, she runs into former mischief member, jake ramsey. as the week progresses, their paths continue to cross. their natural chemistry keeps building until their connection is undeniable. i really loved these two and hope for more from the men of mischief!

thank you to alexandra romanoff, 831 stories and netgalley for this e-arc 🖤

[Rita]

The third book in the Big Fan series did not disappoint!
 
I devoured “Vacation Self” in one sitting. I loved how Maggie and Jake were these two whole characters. They were bold and unapologetic. Their connection and chemistry felt authentic within the short novel.
 
It must be noted that Vermont as definitely the third character in the novella, making me contemplate planning a trip up north this fall – filled with hikes and delicious sandwiches (and maybe reformed retired pop stars?).
 
Thank you to NetGalley and 831 Stories for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Lo]

This was a delightful third installment in the Big Fan series, and it was definitely my favorite! I adored the upstate New York setting and connected to the FMC, while lusting after the MMC. Romanoff is descriptive in a way that makes the story come to life and easy to read. She writes these characters in a meaningful way, citing their struggles, trauma, and setbacks. This truly made the characters complicatingly human, and it was a joy to read. This was a thoughtful and intentional romance, which I love.

[˗ˏˋ saoudia! ˎˊ˗]

as always wth 831 stories novellas, i found this to be so sweet and adorable. i really enjoyed reading about 40 years olds and the fact that they still had some doubts that i currently have was really refreshing.

i really liked jake and maggie, i almost wish i had a full novel dedicated to them? i felt like some issues (maggies discomfort with her career, her issues with her clients) were a bit surface level, but it is probably because this is only like 200 pages!

i really love the big fan universe! tysm for the advance reading copy, it was a wonderful way to end my month of august!

[Robin]

I’ve really enjoyed the other books in this series and this one was no exception. Who doesn’t want to meet and fall in love with a former boy band singer on vacation? haha The setting in Vermont was picturesque and made me also want to take a vacation there. The characters were easy to connect with and I loved seeing them rediscover what brings them joy.

Thank you to NetGalley and 831 Stories for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Mackenzie]

Not a lot here in terms of substance compared to the others in this series — I could've done without the alternating perspective chapters as I feel like those didn't add much. Also didn't really understand the motivations of the main character in her avoidance as being like "well I'm 40 and on vacation" queen the man you are seeing is also that age (I think) and is like. Kind of on vacation as well but you're within very easy commuting distance

[Sarah]

I liked this! It’s the first I’ve read in the Big Fan series because I got an ARC from NetGalley (thanks to them and the publishers!) Definitely short so everything happens fast, but it was written really well. It was a nice change of pace to read about a couple in their 30s/40s vs youngsters all the time lol. I could have spent more time with this couple.

[Sammy B]

2.9 stars

This was a cute, easy, palate-cleanser read. It was light and enjoyable, but ultimately didn’t leave much of an impression on me.

I liked the overall premise and the breezy feel of the story, but I struggled to connect with the couple. He came across a little childish at times for a 40 year old man, which felt off to me and made it harder to fully get invested in their relationship.

Overall, a quick and cute read when you’re looking for something light.

[Ceej Quiam]

An incredibly sweet addition to the fun world that Alexandra Romanoff has built from Big Fan. I know the whole point is that these are finish-in-one-sitting novellas, but I found myself wishing this was longer! I would have loved to see more of how Maggie navigates the aftermath of her decision and how she comes to her eventual conclusions.

But the reformed rake trope is always a great ride. The epilogue and bonus chapters from Maya’s POV was a nice treat, too.

[Mollie]

This was a really cute continuation of the series!! Alexandra Romanoff really knows how to write a steamy scene🔥🤭 definitely skip square waves and read this one and big fan!! It’s also crazy I feel like she does such a good job weaving the characters and storylines WELL in such a short page count. I cannot say the same for almost every other novella I’ve read.

[Mariah (bookswithmariah) Cooke]

A fun addition to the Big Fan series!

3.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Maggie is burning out from her job as owning/running her florist shop. She is taking a week away in Vermont and ends up running into Jake Ramsey. Jake is a previous member of the band Mischief but is running away from his own life as a sober man after his crazy partying band days. How will these two benefit each other?

This book was really sweet. Both Maggie and Jake dealt with real life problems that people in their 40’s are tackling. I thought their chemistry was believable if not a little predictable.

Overall I enjoyed the quick novella!

[samantha sprott]

An easy romance novella! A cute story of a vacation meet cute and realizing more can happen if you’re brave and take a leap of faith. Super quick and sweet read!

[Katherine]

A classic 831 that delivered on all the right things

[Rachel]

2 stars feels too harsh, but 3 stars doesn’t feel right either. There was just nothing interesting about this book, nor did I care about the characters?? Disappointing!!

[Kendall]

EEK by far my faves out of the 831 stories collection! alexandra romanoff, the woman you are! this trilogy is a cut above.
—
also HELLO ADAPTATION IN THE WORKS!
—
thanks to netgalley for the arc <3

[NRC]

Alexandra Romanoff knows exactly what I want.

[Eva]

Least favorite of the trio. I didn't dislike the characters but wasn't enamored

[mads]

I was lucky enough to receive a copy of this ARC via NetGalley and my goodness am I glad I did. This book is perfectly portioned and was a delight to read across two evenings. It dealt with age, and want, and sobriety with a gentleness that often takes authors 400 pages.

[Brandy Porter]

I love this book so much! Maggie a 40 year old New Yorker, has booked herself a solo vacation week however, the second she walks in the cabins, she sees Jake. This story is told in dual POV! I loved watching their story unfold! This is the third book in the Big Fan Series and I highly Recommend all 3! Each book is the perfect way to spend the afternoon! #VacationSelf #NetGalley

[Paige]

This is book 3 of a novella series, however it can be read as a standalone. If you like the small town and celebrity romance tropes, you will probably enjoy this quick read. It's a fun and sweet romance between two people in their 40's on vacation in Vermont.

*Provided an advance copy from the publisher for review. All opinions are my own.

[Sabrina Lemus]

This short and sweet. It was instalove and done well. Maggie and Jake met while on vacation and find themselves falling for each other during their trip.
This was refreshing to read, we get a romance for a 40 year old with an identity crisis and we need more books like this.

I would recommend to anyone who wants a fall vacation book and who enjoys spice in their romances. I will read the other books in this universe.

Thank you NetGalley and 831 Stories for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[QuirkyTofurkey]

It seems impossible for me to rate an Alexandra Romanoff story less than four stars. While I felt a little less connected to these particular characters than I usually do in an 831 Stories book, I still squealed and kicked my feet through this whirlwind romance.

For perhaps the first time, I found myself wishing the story had been longer. The shift from physical attraction to emotional connection happened so quickly that it gave the romance a breathless, almost dizzying pace. I wanted just a little more time to live in those feelings as they grew. On more than one occasion, I wondered if this is what it feels like to have a manic episode.

But as with all 831 Stories books, this story is absolutely brimming with heart. That warmth, sincerity, and emotional tenderness keeps me coming back for more.

Also, in my heart of hearts, Mischief is a real band.

Thank you to NetGalley, 831 Stories, and Alexandra Romanoff for the advanced reader copy. This review is voluntary, and all opinions are my own.