The slowest of slow burns that is actually a clean romance - it's rare to read romances that have the couple fall in love without all the sex. I appreciated the focus being on the emotional connection, here. The murder mystery was a nice touch and I was invested in everything being okay for Khin and Tyler's future. The writing was engaging and I enjoyed the book overall. A couple of things I didn't like: at times it felt like I was reading an op-ed on political points, and I don’t actually see how Khin broke Tyler's trust? Just because she had notes written down and was trying to keep things professional, which was literally her JOB? Then the groveling at the end felt significantly more anti-feminist than the examples given throughout the book. She has to beg for him back? When she DIDN’T write a tell all? Like, what? It seems like a manufactured 3rd act breakup (which is one of the worst tropes out there), to add conflict to a book that already had enough tension, in my opinion. I would have liked an epilogue as well, but that's okay. All in all, I liked it.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and author for an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

Recommended for: readers who love closed door romance with “will they/won’t they” tension that includes an added murder mystery.

Summary: Khin is a reporter who writes freelance pieces on ground breaking topics. That is until Vogue Singapore hires her to follow the famous movie star Tyler Tun for two months and write a celebrity cover story. She takes the job with the hopes of a career promotion and major life change, after a devastating breakup.
Things go pretty well, until, on the first day of shooting Tyler’s movie, Khin gets attacked and ultimately kills a, seemingly, random stranger. The story progresses as Khin and Tyler try to cover up the murder and finish the movie, and cover story.

Review: I really enjoyed this book! By far, the best ARC I have read yet! It is action packed, with some added “will they/won’t they” romantic drama. Khin is a great MC with entertaining wit! I am having a hard time finding any downside! Definitely recommend 1000%!

I know you're not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but I solely picked up this book at first due to the cover art. I'm not sure why, but it immediately captured my attention. I loved the contrasting colors and the way the main character was drawn on the cover. I Did Something Bad by Pyae Moe Thet War was definitely not what I was expecting.

Pyae Moe Thet War is talented in that I could feel the rising tension and anxiety that Khin felt throughout the novel. I had a knot in my chest through half of the book. I say this in a good way, as I felt that I could really "hear" and empathize with the inner thoughts of the characters. The book also provided insight into another country and culture that I'm not as familiar with, which helps understand the underlying premise. Why can't Khin go to the police after being threatened and attacked? What led to her attack in the first place? Throughout the book, the reader is slowly introduced to the subtle layers that are part of Khin.

At first, Khin's divorce and desire to leave behind her past seem to consume her. I think that many readers can commiserate with wanting to start fresh somewhere else, not realizing that our emotions and thoughts and trauma follow us regardless of location. I spent half the novel wondering how Khin was going to come back from the events with Tyler in the park. The author does a great job of pulling all the threads together, and showing how Khin grows throughout the book. I really would recommend the book. The pacing, overall story, and tone of the novel was well done and I'm glad I judged a book by its cover.

Please be advised that I received an Advance Readers Copy (ARC) of the book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really fun rom com with lots of humor and heart. I liked all the characters and thought the romance was cute. The plot was different and held my attention. I kept wondering how it was going to be tied up. I thought the ending was a bit too convenient, but it still worked well enough. I wouldn't mind reading another adventure with these characters, maybe one starring May.

I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.

I've been in a ginormous reading slump lately so I really just couldn't get into this one. Nothing against the book, it just didn't have that spark that made me want to continue reading.

This story follows Khin, a budding Asian Female journalist who gets an offer of a lifetime, interviewing the newest hotshot actor,Tyler Tun. But Khin’s luck soon changes as she and Tyler encounter a deadly accident that leaves them in a crossroads. What to do?
As I read the story I enjoyed the chemistry and banter between these two.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advanced E-copy of this book.

I was pleasantly surprised with this one. I feel like I'd seen mixed reviews, but I ended up really liking this! It had a unique mystery, likable characters and a building love story. Tyler was just absolutely adorable and I found myself loving anytime he was on page. I would definitely recommend this for people who are looking for a lighter thriller with a good splash of romance thrown in.

A chance at a big career dream job and the surreal task of shadowing a Hollywood A-List star for a story is nearly derailed by murder. How could I pass up a romcom mystery set in Myanmar with such an entertaining premise? New to me author, Pyae Moe Thet War tells a rollicking good story that crosses several genres.

Recently divorced and up and coming journalist, Khin Haymar gets the surprise of her life when her boss, the editor of Vogue Singapore hands her an assignment that everyone in the office covets- a chance for an exclusive with sizzling hot star actor, Tyler Tun. All expenses paid and two months to dig into his daily and private life while he’s local to be around family and working on his next film. She’ll nail that Singapore job if she can get some sort of a scoop and Clare, her editor, is pushing for it.

But, her plans derail from the first day of shooting. Tyler is her surprising ‘ride or die’ partner when she murders her stalker in a totally unplanned and inadvertent way. From star power actor to a wonderful man who helps because he can, their time together is magical, but in the back of her mind looms her dream career and gathering up what she learns while Tyler is offering her his trust. The burden of Tyler or her career choice grows and what will he say when he learns of her duplicity?

I Did Something Bad was something of a gamble for me. I avoid stories that feature a journalist or reporter main character. I hate when the big conflict in a romance is a secret one or both are keeping particularly if the secret is a plan to exploit the other character’s private life for personal gain. And, this one did go there and I was not happy with that part of it.

However, I didn’t toss the book aside. I saw that there was much more going on with Khin. She’s lost her way and an expose on a celebrity is not her usual work. She thinks she needs to prove herself because of all the hits she’s taken on a personal level. I ended up wanting her to figure it out and do the right thing so I stayed in the story and cheered her on. Plus Tyler was fabulous guy and the pair of them were in a hilarious situation after the guy dies and they were trying to figure out what to do on the fly, so to speak. It was a celebrity romance at heart, too, so yes, there was great times on the set and seeing Tyler in his career as actor and what celebrity life was like for him.

And, let’s not forget that this is a gem if for no other reason than it’s a romcom set in Myanmar with Burmese culture and people as all the principle backdrop and cast of characters. I loved that the romance pair were Myanma and this is all written from a home town gal perspective so it was authentic and smooth all around.

After the fateful reveal of secrets and the end of their mad dash over murder and romance, this read like women’s fiction. Khin gets a good kick in the butt from her friends to help get things back on track. She had to fix herself before she could ever fix what she broke with Tyler.

In the end, I was well-satisfied. I hope Pyae Moe Thet War writes more of this fun romcom style. I gave the journalist after her scoop a try and I can recommend this part romcom romp, part celebrity romance, and part ‘finding herself’ women’s fic a try.

A journalist and a movie star find themselves teaming up to cover up a murder……and falling for each other in the process.

I really liked Khin’s character and that it was set in Myanmar.

I loved this mystery/ romance novel. What a fun read.

It is a great cosy read and I recommend it.

It took me a long time to figure out how I was going to rate this one. I liked it, but I also had a few issues with it that made the reading experience worse. I’m gonna list everything out so I can try to make sense of my thoughts.

What I liked:
The romance was quite cute. It had an adorable ending and I enjoyed the love story as a whole.
The writing was fun and made the reading experience more engaging.
I loved the plot of a journalist going to write an article about a celebrity and they end up falling in love. I thought that was pretty unique.

What I didn’t like:
The long chapters. It made the book feel so much longer than it was.
The justification of why they’re going to cover up a murder. I think you have to really suspend belief for this to work.
While the romance was cute and fun, it was also missing something. There wasn’t enough tied into everything to keep me as invested as I wanted to be.

I think this book could go either way for anyone that reads it, so I recommend you give it a try and see if it works for you.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Griffin for my gifted copy!

Thank you to St. Martin's for my copy of I DID SOMETHING BAD.

I love a fictional celebrity love story so much and this one definitely hit the mark for me. If you're looking for something fun and cute - snag yourself a copy of this one right away!

I love a celebrity - regular person storyline, so I was excited for I Did Something Bad. I think this book had the bones for a great story (mystery + murder + romance) but I found a bit of the writing disconnected. I struggled to know if this book was a playful rom-com, with the celebrity/regular person trying to cover up a murder, or a more serious exploration of deeper topics, which made some of the jokes feel awkward. Overall, I enjoyed this and would read more by Pyae Moe Thet War.
Thank you St Martins Griffin for the copy through NetGalley in exchange for a review.

This book was hard for me to get into/enjoy. The writing was kinda choppy and I wasn’t grasped by the pot.

4.5 stars

This was so unexpected! I dove into this book expecting a rom-com with some salacious celebrity gossip, but found a novel that was filled with depth and steadfast friendships. There was some humor and a love story intertwined, but at its core it was a book about self-acceptance and an ode to friendship!

I found myself lost in Pyae Moe Thet War's writing - she beautifully captured Khin's innermost thoughts. I adored all of the Taylor Swift song references, and the title had me hooked! The love story between Khin and Tyler was a sweet, slow burn and I liked that they were open and honest with each other. Their banter was cute and fun! I loved this one!

A debut romance book, with a side of crime. It was okay 🤷🏼‍♀️ I enjoyed the different backgrounds of each character. As for the crime that was committed and the relationship that bloomed basically because of it, was a little unrealistic. The fact that May just threw herself into the situation thinking she was helping Tyler, had me thinking “yah right”.
Unfortunately I just wasn’t a fan of this one. There was just a lot that had me not feeling it.

Khin Hlaing is a freelance journalist who gets the opportunity of a lifetime-the chance to shadow Tyler Tun, Hollywood’s It actor. If she does this assignment well, it can be the career making move she’s been waiting for- a permanent gig writing for Vogue Singapore. Reconstructing her life since a recent divorce, it’s the kind of gig one would kill for. Only no one, including Khin herself, could know just how close to the truth this will actually be.

Upon meeting Tyler, Khin is taken aback by the good man that lurks beyond his obvious good looks. Passionate about his work, his friends, and his family, Tyler has lived a largely private life. But something about Khin has Tyler opening up in ways he hasn’t in a long time.

But things get complicated when a man attacks Khin one night near the shooting location. In an attempt to defend herself, Khin strikes back- the man falling into murky waters and dying instantly. Although Khin thinks she’s alone, Tyler has seen the whole thing. Now Khin and Tyler find their lives intertwined in ways they never could have deemed possible, a very real murder more harrowing than any movie Tyler has ever starred in.

I Did Something Bad grabbed me instantly and I found myself wondering where the story would go. While I enjoyed reading it, I did have a hard time reconciling the darkness of the murder with the lighthearted tone of falling in love. It’s hard to explain why the mix didn’t completely work for me as I’m a fan of genre mashups in general. I just wanted more of one or the other to be the main focus. However, I’d still recommend this book for the positive Asian representation and a unique take on ruinous romance.

I went into this book thinking it would be pretty cut & dried, but I was in for a surprise. 😳

There was a mystery element, that I did not expect.
And while I was interested in the book, almost immediately, this was the ultimate hook, for me.

While not a book I may pick from the cover, it was worth it!

The chemistry was mostly stated than seen which made it hard to see them falling in love/root for them. But I am glad that the third act breakup wasn't for the obvious reason (and had to happen) but overall, kinda meh.

This is another (new to me) author, and I definitely will be looking for more of her stories. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and I can’t wait to see what else the author brings to the table. I think anybody who enjoys romance will enjoy this story.


I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.

I would like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for providing me with an advance e-galley of this book in exchange for an honest review. Look for it in your local and online bookstores and libraries on October 8, 2024.