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.

3.5 ⭐ Perfect for fans of romance with a side of complicated murder. 😉 This is a chaste romance that would make a fun movie, it has all the vibes of a Hollywood rom com with the famous actor and a hot mess reporter (Khin) trying to land a role at Vogue.

Read this if you like:
Insta love
Chaste romance
Famous actors
Hollywood types
Rich but good people

Khin gets hired for a cover story of the hottest movie star, Tyler Tun. She's just gone through a divorce and isn't sure what she wants but feels like a failure. She feels like she needs a change and this Vogue job should be a total dream job 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. Tyler steps up in a big way and she isn't sure what to feel or who to trust.

I think as a romance without the side of murder, this book would have been a lot stronger. The murder was quick and surprising and the subsequent mentions were kind of messy. It may have been too much for one book? 🤷

I enjoyed the writing and character development though and will definitely read another book by this author in the future. Maybe May will have her own book?? Without the crime element? 🤞

Thank you to netgalley for an ARC to review.

Thank you so much to the publisher to allowing me to be an early reader. I have a habit of not reading the synopsis of the book and for some reason I thought I was getting into a thriller. I was pleasantly surprised to see this was actually a little bit of a mystery with some romance thrown in there. I loved the representation of Myanmar and the culture. I don't think I've ever read a book where the main character was a journalist. I really enjoyed that perspective of the story. The mystery parts could have been left out all together; I may have enjoyed this much more had it been strictly romance. The MFC is said to have murdered a man, but in the end, it wasn't truly a murder. He was stalking her because of one of her really popular articles. The ending was very anticlimactic and honestly, expected. I didn't expect it to be anything other than what it was.

With that being said, I found the writing to be immersive and entertaining. I kept wanting to come back to the book and find out what was going to happen. Once I found out that the MFC did not in fact kill a man, I lost interest but finished because I was already invested in the romantic aspect of the story. Was this a fun read? Yes. Would I recommend it? Maybe. I'm not totally sold on it and I have already forgotten some key details, but I did find it enjoyable for what it was.

I do look forward to seeing what else this author puts out. I'm always looking to add more diversity in genres and authors to my collection. I enjoy learning about other cultures that differ than mine.

I gave this one 3.5 stars on my goodreads; rounded up to 4 stars.

I like the idea of this book, but for a book that meshes murder and humor to work for me, the characters have to be endearing, and they just kind of weren’t.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advanced E-copy of this book.
I love a good fame romance book, and added a spin, some zest, and I loved every second of it.

Khin is a journalist who is becoming more prominent in her field for not only being an Asian female, but for shining light on important subject matters. When she is offered an exclusive piece following around a notoriously private actor, she jumps at the opportunity to advance her career.
Tyler and Khin have immediate chemistry and a fun banter between them. I love when authors create palpable tension, and it reigns true here.

What could have been a light, run of the mill romance book turns into a high stakes murder investigation. Khin is attacked whilst on the movie set and ends up killing a (white) male in self-defense. Being a reporter has led her to not trust that the system would have her best interests at heart, and the fear that she wouldn't be believed, forces Tyler and Khin together to cover up the murder.

There were few plot holes throughout, but overall, this was a really well paced novel. I enjoyed the spin of the murder cover up and the build-up of Tyler and Khin's forbidden romance.

I love the trend of adding a little murder and mystery to rom-coms. It meshes my two favorite genres, and the outcomes are always a lot of fun!

I enjoyed Khin and Tyler's slow-burn forbidden romance. Although from two totally different worlds, they complimented each other well. I liked that Tyler treated Khin as his equal and wanted to get to know her too, instead of their business arrangement being all one way.

The murder cover-up required some significant suspension of belief, but added some interesting suspense to the story and the relationship between the main characters. It's far-fetched in a fun way, and the way the situation resolves is a relief.

War's next book looks so much fun, and I'm excited to read her work again in the future.

The premise of this book sounded really fun. I love a romance book with an additional plot of adventure, however this fell short for me. This book felt like it was trying to hard to be like other books in the same genre. I did not find the characters to be particularly memorable, and I did not think that this story was very memorable either. I think I am willing to try something else from this author in the future, but right now, I would not recommend this book.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I Did Something Bad was an enjoyable read, but nothing really stuck out to me, either good or bad. One thing that I think caused this was that I felt like the description of the book is misleading. It was called a “smart and swoony adventure rom-com.” Now I love an adventure rom-com, it is my favorite rom-com subgenre, however this book did not feel like a rom-com to me. There was the adventure side from covering up a murder and the police targeting Khin and the romance side from Khin and Tyler falling in love over the course of the story, but it was missing the light heartedness I normally feel in a rom-com. I felt like there was some suspension of belief necessary for the story to work, which is fine, it is fiction, but I also think going into the story with the right expectations is important. I also had a hard time rooting for Khin and Tyler to be together. Especially towards the end when miscommunication fuels the 3rd act break up. Khin and Tyler meet because she is a journalist doing a story about him but then we conveniently forget about that then he gets mad when he finds her notes? Like, have a conversation and believe her? It just felt a little petty after literally covering up a murder.
Overall it was an enjoyable read if you like some thrill and mystery with a side of romance.

3.5  ️
In this smart and swoony adventure rom-com, a journalist and a movie star find themselves teaming up to cover up a murder...and falling for each other in the process.

There was a lot to like about this book, but also a few things to question! When we meet Khin, she's in a bad place mentally - going through a divorce and navigating being on her own. She's offered the opportunity of a lifetime to write an exclusive on actor Tyler Tun while he's in Myanmar to shoot a movie with his best friend. While we get to know both Khin and Tyler, we learn more about some of the other articles that Khin has published, including a controversial article about a secret underground abortion clinic. The way this was brought up OFTEN, I had an assumption this had a lot to do with what happened next. After the murder, we see Khin and Tyler get closer and closer but some of the levity in some of the situations after deciding to cover up said murder felt really out of place. We don't really see or feel a lot of the relationship building between our two MCs, either. Tyler is very stoic while Khin seems to be barely holding herself together (I mean understandably so). It also seemed like Tyler forgot all about the article that Khin was meant to be writing - he literally picked her for this job and then got mad when she was trying to brainstorm scoops to write about. This conflict felt out of proportion after literally covering up a murder together. Things I did love:- Myanmar setting and culture- Khin learning it's okay to ask for help- Tyler's love for his family and friends- Tyler's love language of gift giving (more mugs, please!)- The reveal in the Australian Embassy (hard to explain without spoiling!)
Thank you, NetGalley and St Martins Press, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was a cute romcom about a freelance journalist who is offered a full-time job at Vogue if she can discover a scoop with a big Hollywood actor she is interviewing. Khin is recently divorced and feeling pretty low when she is offered the opportunity to shadow Tyler for two months for an entertainment profile when they both happen to get caught up in a murder. While they are trying to cover it up, romantic hijinks ensue. There is a great supporting cast of friends and these two main characters have good chemistry. This wasn't super original, but it was cute and fun. I would recommend as a light romantic comedy with closed-door spice. I did find myself laughing out loud a couple of times and I enjoyed the book. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

3.5 but rounding up to 4 stars.

The relationship dynamic and shenanigans were so much fun! I really enjoyed how much of both main character's jobs we got to see, the premise of her shadowing him and working on an article while he films a movie really worked for me.

I’d recommend this to people who liked Dial A for Auntie's by Jessie Q. Sutanto but wanted it to focus more on the romance and a little less on the murdery hijinks.

Also, the audiobook narrator was excellent.

Overall, this book was a lot of fun and I will definitely read more from Pyae Moe Thet War.

3.5 ☆
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The cover art for this book is beautiful and caught my attention. In this book, we meet freelance journalist Khin, who is assigned by Vogue to get the scoop on Hollywood's #1 hottest movie star, Tyler Tun. Tyler has done his very best to keep his private life private. Then, one night on set, a strange man follows Khin into the surrounding park grounds. When he threatens her, Tyler steps in, and things escalate quickly. When she learns that this man seems to have targeted her specifically, she needs to do everything she can to find out why.
The pacing of this book felt slow to me and could have been faster. It wasn't holding my attention as much as I wanted it to, to the point that I wasn't even interested in why the man followed Khin.
The audiobook was good; the narrator did a good job. She was easy to listen to and understand. I do wish it had been a dual narrator.
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Thank you, Netgellay, St Martin Press for the eBook and MacmillanAudio for the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to St Martins and Macmillan Audio for the eARC and ALC.

4.31 stars rounded to 4

I love so much about this book. It seems like it’s going to be another fun but cheesy cozy mystery, but it’s more of a rom com with substance than a cozy. For one, the mystery is back burnered a bit and not the primary driver of plot. It also has multi-dimensional characters that feel real.

Here’s what I loved about it:
💙 The characters and their romance!! Tyler is such a unicorn - a celebrity x golden retriever mix (haha). I found Khin and her struggles/situation so relatable and couldn’t help but root for her. Their relationship gradually evolves from acquaintances to friends to lovers and it all feels so natural and real.
💙 The setting! I’ve never read a book set in Myanmar and absolutely loved it! The author does so much to bring it to life. There’s the physical setting that’s brought to life by the on location filming for Tyler’s movie, plus tons of scenes set in local parks or while commuting. It definitely feels like you’re in a big city but one with greenery and a focus on sustainability.
💙 There’s also the political side of Myanmar, highlighted by Khin’s article in Time Magazine about a secret abortion clinic. This story line masterfully advances the plot, adds dimension to multiple characters, and builds awareness about the current state of women’s rights in Myanmar.

Things that didn’t work for me:
🫣 It definitely suffers from the “that’s a little too convenient” issue that so many cozies and adventure romcoms face. I’ve learned to accept it with the genre but worth noting if this is a sticking point for you.
🫣 Idk how i feel about the trend of using Taylor’s lyrics as your book title. It feels a little grabby/bait-y. But when it’s a lyric that’s already a common phrase, as is the case for I Did Something Bad, I’m more ok with it. I didn’t even put two and two together that it’s a song title until the story mentioned Taylor Swift as well.

🎧: I’ve never heard Jacqui Bardelang narrate before but I enjoyed her performance! It was appropriately emotional with good pacing, cadence, and enunciation. Solid, would recommend.