I DID SOMETHING BAD – Pyae Moe Thet War
St. Martin’s Griffin
ISBN: 978-1250330512
October 8, 2024
Romantic Comedy

Myanmar – Present Day

Out of the blue, freelance journalist Khin Haymar is offered a plum assignment for Vogue spending time with and interviewing international movie star Tyler Tun. She meets Tyler and is a bit tongue-tied at first, but they get along. He is filming a movie in Myanmar, and she gets to spend time on the set. One night, Khin is walking alone near the set while they film nearby when a man out of nowhere starts attacking her. She manages to fight back and stabs him in the ear with her pen, but he is hanging onto her and is about to take her over the fence. Out of nowhere, Tyler rescues her. The attacker falls into the rocks and water below, clearly dead. Khin is ready to call the police, but Tyler stops her. He convinces her that no one will believe that she’s innocent and since he likes her, he will help her avoid the police. What happens after that is the reason I DID SOMETHING BAD is a madcap adventure.

Khin is recently divorced and is focused on her career. She recently got some good reviews on an article she wrote about underground abortions, so it is no wonder that she is sought out by magazines. The chance to do the Vogue article is a dream come true and she intends to do a good job. Tyler is friendly toward Khin but still manages to keep up walls. His best friend is May, also an actress, and there are rumors that there is more than a friendship between them. Will Khin get to the real story? Well, the body in the water is soon found and the police are swarming the movie set asking a lot of questions. It soon came out that the dead man had been taking pictures of Khin. Was the man stalking her…and why? The police zero in on Khin but Tyler is good at deflecting and helping her to provide an alibi. What is in it for him to protect her? It does appear the police want to take her in and throw the book at her. Not that they care about the dead man, but maybe because of her abortion story. A little revenge?

I DID SOMETHING BAD is an intriguing tale because it has a little bit of a mystery and a little romance brewing between Khin and Tyler. While we know what happened to Khin, we don’t know until late in the story what prompted the dead man to focus on her. Tyler keeps secrets from her, and she slowly learns what makes him tick. They work well together, though part of the time it is about him calming her down. I won’t give away any more of the plot, but let’s just say there are a few surprises in store for readers. It is a fun read that wraps up nicely as all the questions raised are answered. If you’re looking for an interesting read that is part mystery and part romance, then grab I DID SOMETHING BAD.

Patti Fischer
Romance Reviews Today

Getting to interview one of the hottest Asian stars on the planet shouldn’t lead to murder but the body floating in the pond says otherwise.

I Did Something Bad is a different type of romantic suspense. I have to say that I am pleasantly surprised by the whole experience. Pyae Moe Thet War could have led us down many different roads, but the one taken is filled with twists and turns that are quietly dramatic.

This isn’t to say that what leads up to the murder is isn’t filled with drama and fear. Or that the subsequent investigation didn’t cause a different type of fear with prison-time consequences and an inquiry due to racism and bias towards Khin. There is some drama in relation to these things, but the story focuses more on internal drama than outside forces.

Khin and Tyler carry the emotional baggage of their past and it affects how they respond to each other and the murder. Its hindrances make for lively reading and banter. How can you trust someone you don’t know, never mind a celebrity being interviewed by a journalist. Trust seems impossible until murder ties you together.

I love the secondary cast. Once again, it is the relationships that flavor and enhance the story. How each character interacts with each other through the deep bonds of friendship. Trust and friendship are the overriding theme for this book. Yes, there is romance involved, but it is more about how time can affect relationships, letting go, and learning to let someone new in.

Have I rambled? (chuckle) I guess you could say that this is an emotional mystery ride. It covers dark topics and how they affect people. All the while, I’m thinking I need to buy a really good pen and not have it monogrammed (chuckle).

A chaotic at times mix of romcom and thriller that sees Khin and Tyler cover up a murder. She's a journalist, he's a movie star and honestly they make a lot of unwise decisions. It is witty and the wordplay is good. I liked the setting and that both were from Myanmar- and that War wove in cultural and political aspects. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read for those willing to go with it.

When I read the premise of this romcom meets thriller it immediately had my attention. Both genres are great reads independently so why not combine them!

I found the overall pacing of the book to be interesting. The thriller portion of the storyline took off immediately while the romance side was more of a slow burn. I found both Khin and Tyler to be likeable and was rooting for them the entire story. The only place where this story fell off for me a little bit was the ending. It just felt so... wrapped up and tied with a bow. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but I think I expected more from Khin's character or maybe even Tyler's. Regardless, this was still a fun read and I would definitely be interested in reading future books from Pyae.

Thanks to St. Martin's Publishing Group for the widget. I wouldnt call this a rom com maybe a low key thriller rom-com but nonetheless why put labels on things. Khin the MFC is a strong willed /stubborn journalist doing a cover story for Vogue on Tyler Tun MMC a Hollywood IT actor. They run into some trouble and its all downhill from there. I enjoyed how it didnt focus on the rom com it was not forced it didnt come about till like about 70 percent of the book. It focused not only on what happened but also why Khin is the way she is her character. Im not gonna lie I also cried with this book cant say any spoilers you will just have to read it. Its a thriller but you wont be scared, you LOL and you will definitely swoon. Its if my love of thrillers and rom coms had a child.

I really wanted to like this, but there was a lot that didn’t work for me.

The romance felt very contrived, there was a lot that was shown and not told. The third act breakdown felt a little ridiculous to me given the nature of Tyler and Khin’s relationship in the beginning.

The wrap up of the suspense plot was not for me as well.

The premise for the story had me intrigued from the jump, but ultimately it requires a lot of suspension of disbelief to enjoy fully. There are major plot points that simply don't make sense and if those types of things matter to you, it might bother you here. Khin was an interesting character, and I appreciate that she was going through a time where she was trying to really understand herself. The love story didn't feel believable at all to me, it felt as though there was zero chemistry between the two and if anything it felt more like a trauma-bond. I actually think there was enough in the story between Khin and Tyler that the attacker plotline wasn't necessary. I think if you enjoy cozy mysteries that lean heavily on the romance, then you may enjoy this. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to provide my honest review.

Khin was just assigned to Tyler, an international superstar and follow him and worry about him and hoping to dig some secrets to make her article a standout.

Khin is attacked by a man and Tyler comes to the rescue. They agreed to hide what happened and they try to figure out why this man attacked Khin. This is where the story started falling apart for me. It made zero sense that they didn't go to the police.

Tyler and Khin are forced to spend a lot time together with the article and they start falling for each other. I didn't really buy their romance.

Khin must decide if she really into Tyler and Tyler must decide if she is just doing this for the article. I really enjoyed Tyler and thought he was a great character.

Overall, a decent debut and I enjoyed the narration by Jacqui Bardelang.

Thank you @macmillan.audio @smpromance @netgalley for a copy of this book.

I love the romance between Khin and Tyler!

Freelance journalist Khin Haymar wanted her feature on actor Tyler Tun while he was filming a movie in Myanmar for Vogue Singapore. She hoped that the article would to lead to a full time position with them and allow her to leave Yangon after her divorce. But she never expected that following Tyler around a movie set would lead to her being attacked by a stranger and his death.

Tyler never expected his time filming would lead to investigating the stranger with Khin while not to fall in love while she was doing an article on him.

I Did Something Bad is an entertaining mix between a romance and romantic suspense trying to solve the mystery of who and why the stranger attacked Khin while falling in love.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from the author and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is one of those stories where you have to suspend disbelief—in a good way! It slightly reminded me of Dial A For Aunties, but with more focus on the romance!

Freelance journalist Khin Hlaing is tasked with getting the inside scoop on Hollywood actor Tyler Tun, shadowing him for two months. But then, things take a dark turn when Khin is attacked by a mysterious man on set and, in a moment of self-defence, accidentally kills him—with Tyler as her accomplice. Together, they decide to cover up the crime!

It’s a really fun story, with the murder treated mostly as a lighthearted, entertaining conflict within the cute developing relationship between Khin and Tyler. That said, I did struggle with some of the subplots. Khin’s divorce, while important to her character arc, felt a bit lost amidst everything else going on. Also, there’s a controversial article Khin wrote about an underground abortion clinic that comes up a lot throughout the story. And without giving spoilers, I just didn’t care for it.

So, this book is like a rom-com and a murder mystery had a messy love child, but someone forgot to send it to finishing school. We’ve got journalist Khin Hlaing and movie star Tyler Tun covering up a murder, which should be thrilling, right? Except instead of adrenaline and plot twists, I got awkward flirting, poor life choices, and more clichés than a Hallmark marathon. ⁣

The first cringe moment: instalove. One minute, Khin is just trying to do her job, and the next minute she’s head over heels for Tyler, because nothing says "relationship goals" like a casual murder cover-up. The speed at which these two fall for each other is so dizzying. I guess almost-accidental manslaughter is the ultimate meet-cute?

Speaking of which—are we really supposed to believe that a major movie star and a respected journalist can’t go to the police after an act of self-defense? Apparently, fame and credibility don't exist in this universe. No, instead, they decide the best course of action is a cover-up. You know, the logical, low-stakes choice that won’t cause ANY problems down the road. Totally believable.

And then there’s the ending. You know that feeling when you're halfway through a puzzle, and someone just forces the wrong piece into place because they're tired of trying? That’s what the end of this book felt like. Everything gets tied up in a convenient little bow that’s so frustratingly neat I almost threw the book across the room (but it’s an iPad, so…). Khin gets her big break, Tyler has feelings, and the murder just... goes away?

If you’re into swoony romance with a dash of absurdity and a plot hole or five, this one might be your jam. For me, it felt like trying to suspend disbelief while also balancing a stack of plot contrivances on my head. So, I Did Something Bad... and gave this book two stars.

I Did Something Bad was a really interesting debut. It's a cozy mystery in the vein of Arsenic and Adobo and Dial A for Aunties (though not as funny) about a journalist who finds herself in the right place at the wrong time with the wrong person and mayhem ensues. It was an interesting concept for a mystery, but my issue is with the fact that it's listed as a romance on NetGalley, because the romance here was minimal and left me wanting.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for gifting me with an ARC to review! All opinions are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for a free eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was an easy read (despite the death - no spoilers there, it's right there in the book summary!) and a solid debut in this genre by Pyae Moe Thet War. This book would be perfect for those that enjoy their romance with something more of thrilling plot. The whole time I was reading it I thought it would make a fun movie,

Our main character, Khin gets hired for a cover story of a movie star, Tyler Tun, which if she delivers on could land her a job at Vogue Singapore. Khin feels like she needs a change and this Vogue job would be a dream come true for her. She's willing to do whatever it takes to get the inside scoop from Tyler. When complications arise on set and she's followed by someone, her plans start to fall apart. What follows is Khin and Tyler working together to cover up what happened and their growing attraction to each other (along with the ethical complications that brings about). I enjoyed the exploration of Khin as a character but Tyler felt a bit surface level to me. The pacing of the plot was perfect until the last couple of chapters - aka the third act. I felt like the third act was very rushed and could have done with some more fleshing out. All that being said though, I really enjoyed the book and would read more from this author - even more so because of her focus on Asian representation.

Really great debut novel. The writing was so witty and had me laughing out loud. The leads had so much chemistry. Love seeing a male and a female not in a romantic relationship but just BFFs. Can Mae get her own book?

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for my advance electronic copy via NetGalley. My opinions are my own.

When Khin Haymar gets a job from Vogue (Vogue!) to write the inside story on Hollywood hunk Tyler Tun (who may be the next James Bond!), she knows she can exceed their expectations and land the job of her dreams. Even though Tyler has agreed to let her shadow him and get his story first-hand, however, Khin is struggling to get past his very private facade. Then one night Khin is attacked, and Tyler shows up just in time, but her attacker ends up dead. The two of them cover it up, but the police keep hounding them. As they work to protect each other, the two of them grow closer and Tyler finally opens up. So it's up to Khin to decide how important it is to get her job, or if maybe keeping secrets buried is better for everyone in the end.

I found myself struggling to like Khin until I got a better look at her backstory and those of some of the women around her. She is fiercely independent and doesn't want help, but she's also struggling to trust again and to move on from trauma. I thoroughly enjoyed the mystery and the coverup and found myself cheering for Khin and Tyler (though I hated the miscommunication elements). I was also interested to read about a side of Myanmar that is different from the one I see through my job: this book portrayed a wealthy, urban, stable life of the upper class in Yangon. I’ve never been to Yangon or to Myanmar, but for a country with ongoing socio-political unrest, I did expect that element to at least be mentioned as part of the country's reality--especially as it does talk about how repressive the government is in one particular regard. But perhaps I'm putting a foreigner's glasses on and expecting something that isn't there. I loved how very proudly Myanmar the book was, and hope I can experience that in person some day.

Trigger warnings: sexual assault, violent death

My thanks for the ARC goes to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin. I'm voluntarily leaving a review.

Genre: Romance, Mystery Romance, Romcom, Mystery Thriller
Spice Level: Nothing more than making out on the page
Language: A lot of profanity. F-bombs are a favorite and prolific
Representation: Majority of characters are Asian
Hot topics: Explores idea of women having control of their own reproduction, societal expectations around people of color, and sexual assault (nothing graphic is on the page)

I DID SOMETHING BAD is surprisingly light when it's a murder mystery. —but not one where we're trying to catch the murderer. It's also quite funny (slightly dark). I can't call it a cozy because of the profanity. But the non-professionals are the ones trying to solve the mystery of who this dead guy is and why he was on the set.

The relationship between Khin and Tyler is fun to watch as it develops. We know that Tyler is keeping a secret, but I was surprised as that line developed. The friends of both Khin and Tyler are fiercely loyal. Their lives don't wholly revolve around the main characters either, but the friends are ready to support.

I thought the topics are on point for discussions happening across America, even though this book takes place in Singapore. I do wish I had a few more descriptions of Singapore and the food. (Because I always want to know more about the food.) The one negative for me was the language.

I think thriller readers, mystery readers, and romance readers will love this book.

Happy reading!

4.5 stars! Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martins Press, and St. Martin's Griffith for this advanced copy! You can pick up I Did Something Bad on October 8, 2024.

I loved this romance/mystery blend of a book! Pyae Moe Thet War did a fantastic job balancing the budding romance between Tyler and Khin with their antics to cover up an accidental murder. The more we uncovered about the victim and why they were following Khin, the closer her and Tyler grew, and the more I fell in love with both characters. I really appreciated War's depiction of Khin's journalistic activities as well, and how the cover story became more than either Tyler or Khin had planned.

Can't wait for everyone to pick this up in a few weeks!

This is one adventurous romance. Khin is a journalist who is assigned to write a cover story for Vogue on the hottest movie star, Tyler Tun. When a man ends up dead the two of them team up to cover it up. They work together to find out more about the man. As they do, the feelings between them begin to grow.

I loved the thrilling storyline and side plot of mystery. The romance between Khin and Tyler seemed real and genuine. It developed naturally over time which makes it very realistic. The spice in this one is low which is what I prefer.

Overall a very entertaining and unique romance.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I DID SOMETHING BAD by Pyae Moe Thet War

Pub date: Oct. 8, 2024
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Rating: 4.5 / 5



How far would you go to cover up a murder?

Journalist Khin Hlaing has the career opportunity of a lifetime: shadow Hollywood star Tyler Tun as he films his new movie, and in exchange for an exclusive story, be guaranteed a job with Vogue Singapore. Things are going well enough until Khin is attacked one night. Now, Khin and Tyler are responsible for killing a man. When it comes out that Khin's attack was targeted, Khin and Tyler are propelled into a whirlwind investigation. But with high stakes and a deepening relationship, the question is: how long can they keep their crime a secret?

I DID SOMETHING BAD is an unexpectedly emotional love story–both between Khin and Tyler, and Khin's relationship with herself. There are classic rom-com beats that bring all the feel good energy, as well as more mature and heavy themes that build the mystery. A highlight of the book is the Myanmar representation. Khin and Tyler are both from Myanmar, and Tyler's movie focuses on Myanmar rep. There are also subplots relating to political issues in Myanmar, which richly adds to both Khin and Tyler's individual characters and their relationship. While readers may need to expect more tension and moral questioning than fluffy comedy, there are plenty of moments in Khin and Tyler's romance that will tug on the heartstrings. This debut novel could easy be read over and over and over again... and it should!


(Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!)

2.5 stars, rounded up. A rom-com with a dash of adventure that could have used a little more character development and chemistry and a little bit less hijinks. There were some serious themes in this story that got lost in the witty tone, which left me feeling a little unsettled. I did enjoy the Myanmar setting and characters, and if you like a celebrity romance trope you should give this a try. I personally just couldn't buy into the romance between journalist Khin and movie star Tyler; I wasn't shown enough between them, and Tyler's character came across as highly implausible in someone of his stature. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin for a digital review copy.