When freelance journalist Khin Hlaing is assigned by Vogue to get a scoop on Tyler Tun, Hollywood’s hottest movie star who has returned home to Myanmar to shoot a film, she's determined to succeed. If Khin’s able to get an explosive exclusive, there may well be a permanent position waiting for her at Vogue Singapore, and a ticket out of the city that's felt too small since her recent divorce.

Tyler has done his very best to keep his private life private, and he doesn’t show any sign of letting down his walls for Khin. But 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 fast. Khin knows they can’t go to the police, even if it was self defense. And when she learns that this man seems to have targeted her specifically, she needs to do everything she can to find out why.

As Khin and Tyler work together to hide their secret and find out more about her attacker, they grow closer and Tyler finally starts opening up. The job at Vogue suddenly looks more promising, but Khin can’t help feel a twang of uncomfortable morality-related guilt. Before long, everything hangs in the balance. Will they get away with murder? Can Khin get the exposé she needs for her dream job? And is she willing to risk Tyler’s trust in the process?

Holy plot twists. This book was everything and more. I wish I could give it more than five stars, because it truly deserves a lot more. Action packed and swoonworthy. Cannot wait to read more from the author.

This was a fun premise, and I loved the romance mixed with an adventure/mystery element! It has a bit of a lighter tone and it’s quite funny throughout. I loved both of the characters, and their slow burn romance had me on the edge of my seat waiting for them to finally kiss. Overall, it was a super far fetched plot with some questionable choices made by characters, but it’s still such a super fun read!

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5 stars

[ thank you @stmartinspress for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own! ]

PUB DATE: October 8, 2024 (out now!)

THOUGHTS:

Khin & Tyler were super cute! Loved how their relationship grew slowly while the drama/madness of the murder happened. Ha!

But I just overall didn’t love this one. It didn’t grab my attention for long when I picked it up. And the third act breakup was confusing and didn’t work for me.

It was meh vibes for me and I hate to say that! 😭 This wasn’t a book for me and that’s okay! I’ll try the author again in the future though. ❤️

Entertaining debut about a freelance journalist (Khin) and international superstar (Tyler) who find themselves teaming up to hide something from the police in Myanmar.

In terms of genre, I'd say this is contemporary, book club-type fiction with mystery elements and a romance subplot.

Jacqui Bardelang did a great job with the narration; she really pulled me into the story (though at times it seemed like some characters had a Chicago accent which threw me a little).

I Did Something Bad is not a cozy mystery, but I think I'd recommend it to readers looking for something along those lines. Think fun, not challenging to follow. Maybe a good fit for fans of Finlay Donovan and Errands & Espionage.

I Did Something Bad is a fun take on the Hollywood journalist/actor storyline!
There is some great cultural diversity in the setting and the characters. Character development is strong and the writing is pretty good. It’s a little longer than it needs to be. Overall I enjoyed it and laughed out loud a few times!

I absolutely loved this! It was a great blend of traditional contemporary romance as well as some of my favorite romantic suspense elements. I think Pyae Moe Thet War wrote a spectacular story and I'm so excited to see what comes next from them!

I can't speak on the accuracy of the Myanmar representation but I think it was so well done. The setting felt so alive and I loved the various family members we get to see living a bit more of a day-to-day life outside of our current celebrity movie setting! Our characters also felt so great! There were a variety of family relations that we see to showcase a wide range of how families interact both in good and bad ways. I also really appreciated the connection between our FMC and our MMC's family to wrap things up in a full circle way and provide some context to decisions.

Regarding the plot, I am a SUCKER for romantic suspense stories so this was a blast! Obviously, you have to suspend reality a little bit, the FMC murders someone of course! But I think this was done spectacularly to create a truly believable mystery/murder setting at the end of the day. This blend of story isn't going to be for everyone but I think it was really well done and I hope to see more of these mystery-based romances from War.

I have been provided with a review copy of I Did Something Bad from NetGalley for an impartial review. This was just a great read. I was just drawn in to this story so thoroughly. I just had so much fun reading this story.

Such a fun yet heartfelt and impactful read! In addition to a fun rom-com (and a murder..) the author addresses themes of misogyny, racism, and friendship love in the most crafty way.

Thank you St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for the eARC of I Did Something Bad! All opinions in this review are my own.

Overall, the potential was there but it was too chaotic. The beginning starts off really strong with Khin being assigned a Vogue cover story about a major celebrity, Tyler, and travelling to his movie set. Khin and Tyler accidentally murder a man when he attacks her and now must try to get away with it. After that, the book became too messy. There were times that the murder was almost forgotten because it becomes a romance between Khin and Tyler. The last two-thirds were too uneven because there were too many stories to cover.

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!