From the publisher:
A trip they'll never forget...

Poe Myat Sabei has the publishing career that any writer would kill for: her first novel sold at auction, became an international number one bestseller, and is being turned into a Netflix film. But now on deadline for her second book, Poe is facing a catastrophic case of writer’s block. The solution? Book a two-week getaway to an exclusive island resort for her and her best friend Zwe where she’ll undoubtedly be inspired to write her next bestseller.

But the vacation of their dreams disintegrates in a flash when the resort is taken over by a group of masked women who are very armed and very angry. As they try to leave the island before the group can track them down, Poe and Zwe suddenly find themselves facing the kinds of conflicts that only come up when, well, you’re trapped in a life or death situation on a remote island with your (hot) best friend.

My thoughts:

Overall, I liked the book. Poe and Zwe were nice characters. The secondary characters of Leila and Antonio gave the plot more depth and helped propel it along. I liked that it was action/adventure too in a way.

I did have trouble seeing the romance developing between Poe and Zwe even though I knew they were the designated couple. They seemed to act more brother and sister than lovers in their verbal exchanges. And they hide their feelings well from each other. Also, I felt that the sex scenes were unnecessary and seemed like an afterthought. And I had a little trouble suspending disbelief at some points.

Even given the flaws, it was overall a good book. The plot was interesting. The characters were likable. I gave it 4 out of 5 stars.

I received a copy of the book from the publisher through NetGalley. This did not affect my opinions nor my review.

Not really my cup of tea- I ended up not finishing this one. I don’t know if it was the writing style or the plot itself that I just did not enjoy.

In this wonderfully creative romantic comedy/suspenseful thriller, Here for A Good Time gives the reader just that...a great, satisfying read! With many book genres meshed into an exciting, adorable suspense story set on a private isolated island, two roommates will experience every emotion known to mankind, fear, regret and of course love, just to name a few. Oh, and believe it or not, they are actually kidnapped!

Poe Myat Sabei is a writer, or in her words a won hit wonder. Her first, and only book was not only a bestseller, but also optioned by Netflix. Exciting right? Not to Poe who has not been able to write a single word in a very long time. Now unfortunately she has writer's block, or I have no ideas block.

Zwe who is her best friend and roommate and is her encourager and motivator have been friends since college. His parents own a bookstore and although Zwe would love to try and get his PhD, he works at the store to help his aging parents.

So, Poe comes up with an idea for an exotic all-inclusive vacation on a private island figuring if she can convince Zwe to go with her not only will he be able to relax, but that's all she will need to push her to come up with an idea and start writing again. He agrees to go, reluctantly.

But what happens next is astounding!

The serenity and excitement soon turn into a nightmare. They are suddenly kidnapped by a group of women with masks no less who want to take the island over. Why Poe and Zwe? Who are they? This was certainly not on the menu of activities they had signed up for!

Now they are dragged by these abductors and forced into their craziness as they begin the takeover. Once the kidnappers are finished with them, they are going to leave them to die! Unfortunately, at first Poe and Zwe begin to turn on each other as they start to rehash all of their lives' misfortunes (and each other's) and dissect what they both thought was a pretty solid relationship.

As it gets close to the end of the road (literally) and they realize just how much they mean to each other and need each other to figure out a way out of this situation, will they be able to keep their wits and come up with an idea to somehow con their abductors, or will they kill each other before they get killed?

Here For A Good Time is funny, gripping story with amazing twists and turns and a very satisfying ending.

Thank you #NetGalley #St.Martin'sPress #PyaeMoeThetWar #HereForAGoodTime for the advanced copy.

This was a really fun audiobook! While some of the overall plot lost me for being a bit too predictable, and the MC was a little too unobservant for my liking, I still enjoyed the story.

I’m not a huge friends to lovers fan, mainly because of the huge amount of miscommunication it takes to make it even remotely plausible, I did enjoy this in the beginning. To be honest though, I felt like the MMC got really toxic as the story progressed, so I started caring less about the romance of it all and more about the masked gun women’s plot.

So while parts were predictable and I had issues with both MCs, I still thought it was a fun time, and the audiobook was great.

3.5 stars

Wavering at 3.5 stars, somewhere in that gray zone where I can’t tell if I want to round up or down.

It’s wonderful to see small steps forward in the publishing industry where we have authors of color who then set books at least partly outside of the West. As a POC reader, I’m happy to support POC authors who write characters that are also POC and things are fine and normal because that’s how it should be. These things should be normal.

It would have been nice, though, to get a little more feel for the setting outside of the island, though I know the island/resort is where most of this took place. All I know is Poe and Zwe share an apartment and they go to that bookstore. I did like that there were some references to stereotypes about Asian parents and how Poe mentions how her parents did not fit the stereotype, as well as the aspect of Zwe wanting to take care of his parents, since those felt culturally relatable, though I’m not southeast Asian. And the discussion about the rich encroaching on the lands of indigenous people for the sake of exotic luxury resorts was worth mentioning. I still wasn’t a huge fan of how the villain(s) were written, considering the whole monologue was somewhere in the zone of “I get this” to “what the fuck is happening because this is as ridiculous as Poe and Zwe think it is” lol. I can accept absurdity and roll with it, to a point—it kind of hits weirdly when mixed with real world commentary though bc it’s like do you want me to remember this is fiction or do you want me to tie this in to reality?

The best friends-to-lovers trope is one of my favorites when done well. There were aspects of this that I enjoyed, like getting to see all the small ways Poe understood Zwe and her memories of how he’d always supported her, as well as the obvious feelings Zwe had for Poe (and Poe’s clear obliviousness to that along with her denial of her own), and aspects that I did not (the way their exes were mentioned/handled, like Zwe texting with his ex again being a thing and then disappearing by the end???). I do love a good “it’s always been you” line, and the setup makes sense for why they’d be afraid to ruin their friendship, but I also wanted to shake them. Poe’s messiness didn’t really bother me, though, because I felt like her inner thoughts about fear of failure on her next book and writing were understandable, and she felt relatable in her imperfections. It is easy to get self-absorbed and lose sight of your friendships and the work it takes to maintain them when you’ve got so much going on in your head, so I found her a compelling character. I did want to whack her after the fifth time she brought up Zwe and Leila though because that was so exhausting. The meta discussion on writing was fun (I do like books about books).

An interesting premise that somewhat delivered; I expected Poe and Zwe to get to be on their own for more of their adventure hiding from the bad guys though. I also wish more kind of happened while they were on the run, other than her twisted ankle. I might check out I Did Something Bad because of the Easter eggs about the characters that tie the world together and that cameo at some point, but in all, not a bad first read from a new to me author.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for the ARC.

Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. And thank you to @macmillan.audio for a free download of the audiobook.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

An ambitious blend of genres that didn’t quite land

Here for a Good Time had a lot going for it—sharp writing, a vibrant setting, and a bold attempt to mix romance with thriller. The friends-to-lovers arc between the main characters had its sweet moments, but it felt like an odd fit alongside the high-stakes “revolution” plot. The tonal shifts were jarring at times, making it hard to stay emotionally invested in either storyline.

That said, the book has a unique voice and some genuinely funny, insightful moments. The characters are well-drawn, and the cultural backdrop adds richness. I just wish the romance and thriller elements had meshed more smoothly.

🎧 Audiobook Review:
The narration was solid—engaging and expressive. The narrator captured the humor and tension well, though the emotional transitions between romantic and political scenes sometimes felt abrupt. Still, the audiobook helped bring the characters to life and made the story more immersive.

Overall, a creative and daring read that didn’t fully click for me, but I admire the risks it took.

#books #bookishlife #booklover #readingisfun #iowabookstagrammers #iowabookstagram #netgalley #stmartinspress #macmillanaudio #macaudio2025 #hereforagoodtime #pyaemoethetwar

This was really cute, and I love a good friends-to-lovers romcom. I was a bit thrown off when it became more action-thriller in the middle, and I feel like we missed out on some of the romance because of that. Overall, it was cute and fun, notwithstanding the whiplash from lighthearted to serious and dangerous back to cozy and entertaining.

Thanks to NetGalley for the early read. This was a fun one, and the plot was unexpected. It was more than just friends to lovers, there was mystery there in the middle.

It was predictable, however, as I could tell right from the moment they met up with Leila and Antonio in the woods exactly who Leila was. As well, the forgiveness at the end was ridiculous and unrealistic. Yes, you kidnapped and tortured us and and kidnapped a dozen other people, but we'll just let that slide! Antonio was a likable character, so the fact that they keep him in the dark revealed questionable morals for all three of them.

I had hoped in the epilogue, there were some natural consequences, but there were not. So while it was a fun read, the conclusion left me irritated. 3.5 stars for me.

I did not read the synopsis before starting this book so imagine my surprised when a cute little romcom turned into a hostage situation. It was a cute book, but you could see everything that was going to happen from a mile away. The ending also dragged on.

I am really enjoying the adventure-suspense-romance genre that Pyae Moe Thet War is working in with her books, which have the added interesting element of featuring main characters from Myanmar. Here for a Good Time begins with best friends Poe and Zwe heading to a luxury resort on a remote island—Poe’s way of apologizing to Zwe for not being there for him lately as much as she used to. Everything is proceeding calmly (it’s even a bit boring, for a couple of chapters) when the plot takes a turn, a band of armed intruders invading the resort one night while Poe and Zwe sleep. Suddenly, they’re on the run, trying to figure out who has struck the resort and what they’re seeking. Complicating this is the fact that Poe and Zwe really need to clear the air of some pent-up issues—and maybe admit that there’s more than just friendship between the two of them.

An interesting choice by the author is that Poe is the narrator, but she’s not the most sympathetic character. She can be self-centered and needy, and her success as a bestselling author has led her to solve every problem with money rather than addressing things head-on. This makes Zwe seem a bit blind for his enduring adoration of Poe, and his willingness to excuse her bad behavior makes him appear to be a bit of a pushover. Poe is working on this at the end of the book, but I still wanted Zwe to have more backbone and push for a better relationship earlier in the story.

I can now say that new books by Pyae Moe Thet War are going to be an auto-read for me in the future. Her skill with plot and setting are both notable, even if the characters aren’t always my cup of tea.

I really enjoyed the last book by Pyae Moe Thet War and was looking forward to this one - but it fell a bit flat to me. It was a little too predictable for my taste.

I thought this was well written and had a lot of hope. I did feel really bad for the original girlfriend, and thought that there were some messy struggles here.
In some ways it was a bit White Lotus like

This one was ok. I thought it seemed really interesting at first. The weird resort for only the wealthy was giving me White Lotus vibes. But the whole conflict just seemed so wild and out there. The relationship also didn't feel super believable. It felt like they were declaring their love for each other out of nowhere.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin and Pyae Moe Thet War for the gifted eARC of Here for a Good Time! All opinions are my own.

I loved the premise of this book! The way the setting shifts from a dreamy island vacation to a desperate fight for survival kept me turning the pages. One minute you’re picturing fruity drinks on the beach, and the next you’re wondering if Poe and Zwe will make it out alive.

And let’s talk about the trope—best friends-to-lovers is always a win, but throw in life-or-death stakes and the “what if I never told you how I really feel” tension? Perfection. The chemistry between Poe and Zwe made the high-stakes mystery even more addictive.

If you’re into rom-coms with a twist of danger, humor, and a dash of suspense, this is definitely one to add to your TBR.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

My review was posted to Goodreads and Amazon on 9/4/25.
My Instagram review will be posted at a later date.

A super fun, friends to lovers, action packed romcom. Poe is an author who's writing has gotten in the way of her friendship so she books a getaway to an island. During the trip masked women take over the resort. It's silly and so fun. I love the care the Islanders have for their home. The ending ties the previous book, I Did Something Bad, to this one - always enjoy an Easter egg. Definitely recommend!

To be honest I didn’t finish this book. It just never got me hooked and I kept finding myself getting distracted and not going back to it.

It’s a cross between a romance and a suspenseful ride. Not really contemporary suspense. It feels different than that.

I liked the exotic island setting and loved that the writer at the center of this was successful and not struggling.

The comedy from the romantic comedy kinda rolled in and out as I think it was a little at odds with the suspense.

It may be me since this isn’t the first one that I’ve thought that the chemistry was a little lacking but loved their friendship.

And both Leila and Antonio had me guessing and guessing again about their intent.

I was able to switch back and forth between reading and listening as my time allowed. Jacqui Bardelang does an excellent job bringing the island story to life and bonus points for hearing pronunciations of things and names.

I had a hard time with this one. Firstly, it took much too long for me to get invested in the story because the first 25% or so of it was just the main characters either talking about the imminent trip or Poe being annoyingly self-deprecating about writing her second book after getting a Netflix deal for her debut.

I also did not feel the chemistry between Poe and Zwe. There wasn’t a single time in this entire book that I wanted them to end up together. Zwe had more chemistry with Layla, the resort worker.

It also wasn’t a shocker to figure out the ‘twist’ and it got to a point where I really wanted to DNF because I didn’t care about any of these characters.

Just a meh read for me. Would not recommend.

This book had a great premise, but it took so long to get to the good stuff I considered giving up. Once the action starts ... Well, it's actually still pretty tame and only the last few chapters really lived up to what the blurb had promised!

Thank you to the publisher for sending a review copy

This was an interesting friends-to-lovers romance that focused more on an adventure and a disastrous trip than on the actual romance. For the record, I did enjoy this book. I liked the island setting, and I was so rooting for Poe, an author, and her bestie, Zwe, to get together. I just was not expecting it to turn into a type of survivor episode! Okay, not really, but it does become a matter of survival. There’s action, mystery, and, yes, the feelings between Poe and Zwe begin to take a turn. Now, hopefully, they can make it off this island alive.


Thank you #partner @stmartinspress for this #gifted ebook via #NetGalley. #SMPInfluencer