Here for a good time is a fun but dark rom-com that centers around friends to lovers. Poe is a recent best-selling author, and finds herself on a remote island with her best friend. And a group of hostage takers. Poe and Zwe must navigate survival, not only for their lives, but for their relationship as well. while lots of humor is interspersed, this covers fantastic topics and the true impact of colonialism and tourism on indigenous communities.

Here for a Good Time was an exciting and original slow-burn / friends to lovers romance. Poe and Zwe have great chemistry and rapport after so many years of friendship. Their arguments on the island that laid bare some of their issues to the surface was painful and heartbreaking. The combination of romance with a hostage crisis was a lot of fun - and seemed to have the perfect amount of humor every step of the way too! Definitely recommend. Thank you to St. Martin's Press/St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this novel.

I love the voice and tone of this book, but the pace is too slow for me. The majority of the story seems to take place in the point-of-view character’s head. DNF in chapter 2.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

This was very much weirdly boring and I do not know what else to say. The concept was interesting and it just had issues with pacing for me.

Here For A Good Time is a fantastic adventure. Poe and Zwe are best friends who have never considered anything more than friendship. When Poe takes Zwe on a once-in-a-lifetime adventure to an isolated island, Poe just hopes that she can find her writing spark again. When chaos hits the island, Poe and Zwe will have to work together to make it out alive.

Here For A Good Time is a fast-paced and hilarious adventure. I really liked Poe and found her to be relatable. Zwe and Poe are head over heels for each other, but neither really knows it. The descriptions of the island are beautiful and readers will feel like they’re on vacation until everything goes wrong. The dialogue is very funny and maintains the comedy during the take-over of the island. I enjoyed the reveal behind the people who mastermind everything. Readers who like best friends to lovers, witty dialogue, and chaotic adventure will enjoy Here For A Good Time.

Thank you to Pyae Moe Thet War, St. Martin’s Griffin, and NetGalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For publisher: My review will be posted on Goodreads, Amazon, Storygraph, and Barnes & Noble etc.

Best friends Poe and Zwe are on holiday together, seemingly the only people staying in the resort. It is supposed to help with her writers block, but thinks take a different turn when the resort is ambushed. A fun and fast paced read.

I received this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ARC provided by St. Martin's Press.

A trip they will 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 will 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 are trapped in a life or death situation on a remote island with your (hot) best friend.

Here for a Good Time sounded like it is going to be a blast: friends to lovers, a tropical location (Myanmar), and some kind of action/adventure but the story lagged. The pacing of this book especially right before they left for their trip and then everything after that part of the story was resolved was a bit awkward. Poe and Zwe did not seem like a great fit. They spent a large majority of of the time being awful to one another. We just did not get enough glimpses of their good moments, so when they finally got together, it did not feel right or made me feel happy. That said, I was eager to see how it would all play out. I kept reading in hopes of a strong payoff, but unfortunately, the ending fell a little flat. I wanted something deeper or more satisfying to round out the experience. There was so much amazing potential here, but it just didn't work for me.

Rating: 2.5/5

3-3.5⭐️, this is an interesting one for me to review. On one hand, I loved the shocking change from what I expected to just be a standard best friends to lovers romcom that turned into an adventure, on the other hand, I struggled with the pacing of this book especially right before they left for their trip and then everything after that part of the story was resolved. The ending felt very much like fan service, and it shoved spice in there unnecessarily at the very end that I think actually did the plot a disservice (and I typically like books with some spice!). I wish the story had ended at the end of their trip with just a brief epilogue. I do think this book has a lot of potential and I enjoyed the author, so I’ll likely be back for more of their writing! If you’re looking for a non traditional romcom, this may fit the bill.

Here for a Good Time by Pyae Moe Thet War
Contemporary diverse romantic suspense mixed with romantic comedy. Friends to lovers troupe.
Poe Myat Sabei has writer’s block. She’s terrified she’ll be that one-hit author everyone wonders about. Deciding a break away will help, she invites her bestie, Zwe Aung Win to a remote island in the Indian Ocean. They are the only guests. It all starts out innocently enough. Friendship, relaxing and destination experiences. Until lust gets in the way. And apparent attempted kidnapping. How does a vacation go so wrong?

🎧 I alternated between an ecopy and an audiobook. The narration is performed by Jacqui Bardelang who does a wonderful performance making the characters dance to her voice intonations.
Bonus - hearing the author name pronounced! Now I can repeat it to my bookclubs in recommendation.
I did listen at 1.5 and slightly more closely read along with the print copy.

Absorbing and quasi terrifying concept of writer’s block and island hostage situations. Add in the building tension of romantic love for a friend makes this an all consuming romance. Creative. Secondary characters Leila and especially Antonio were excellent filler.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley and Macmillan Audio

I had high hopes for this one, but it sadly didn't work for me. On the plus side, the prose was cinematic, reminiscent of the Sandra Bullock/Channing Tatum movie, The Lost City. Like that movie, the plot was utterly ridiculous, and predictable. While I was prepared for the movie to be exactly what it was, and therefore enjoyed it, I expected more depth from this book. The ringleader of the armed gang who took over the resort was obvious from the first gunshot. Setting aside the rom-com adventure silliness, I struggled with the characters as well. Antonio was a delight. The main characters, Poe and Zwe, not so much. Zwe was condescending and patronizing, even (or especially) when he said he was not, and Poe would call him on it, then cave and tell herself that no, he hadn't done or said anything wrong. She was the one who was the terrible friend and terrible person. If this were an AITA Reddit post, the answer would be "you both are". It really bothers me when men are jerks and women make themselves small in response. One other thing that bothered me was the foul language. I don't typically mind swearing, but it usage here felt excessive and served no purpose.

As a final note - as long as you go into this with the right expectations, you'll probably enjoy it. It's not deep. It's rather silly. But it's not terrible. It just wasn't what I expected and I found it disappointing.

2.5 - I really wanted to like this, and the beginning was really fun and interesting, but it feels like it goes completely off the rails near the halfway mark. It’s a friends-to-lovers romance where the two main characters take a trip to an island resort in Singapore. They’re the only guests due to a glitch in the system, but the destination is beautiful. In the beginning, I really enjoyed their banter and Poe’s jealousy over Leila, the pretty resort employee flirting with her best friend Zwe.

But then we’re suddenly in what feels like it’s supposed to be a thriller, though it’s just frustrating. Poe is constantly too childish to have the conversation she needs to with Zwe and she just comes off as petulant. This aspect is annoying because they’re both so immature and aren’t able to be honest with each other. It takes them almost dying to declare their love for each other but even then it doesn’t have that big gesture feel.

Not to mention the entire part of the story where they’re being hunted and then tied up. I can absolutely get behind stories of indigenous people getting their land back (as they should), but this felt like I was suddenly reading a different story. It’s not even shocking when the twist happens, and even more infuriating when they just end up letting it all go in the end. This could have been a much better story if this aspect was handled differently. It was a struggle to get through this and so disappointing.

Unfortunately, for me, this book felt like a drag. It was lengthy with not much going on. I wanted more between Poe and Zwe. This novel is labeled as a romcom, however, I struggled to find both the rom and the com in it. I don't think this one was for me.
Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Pyae Moe Thet War for this ARC.

This is such a good premise. Best friends and roommates jet off to a paradise resort, having the trip of their lives, when they wake up to gunshots. Forced out of their seaside villa, they need to stay alive and get off the island, all while realizing they want to be more than friends.

I found the second half of the book to be a lot stronger than the first, primarily because I found Poe, the FMC, to be obnoxious in most of the first half, especially as the action ramps up. She redeems herself a bit in the second, though there are other inconsistencies that I didn't love. Ultimately, this is a good, not great, book with an excellent premise and average delivery.

It's also a book that I think could have been entirely closed door, because I don't think that any of the spicy scenes added anything to the story and they made me cringe a bit. I will, however, applaud the author for two things she did exceptionally well. First, there are references to the fact that the MMC doesn't have a perfect, chiseled body (round stomach, etc.). One, that's pretty rare in contemporary romance and I appreciate the different representation and, two, she makes these references in such a way that they are the least interesting thing about him as a person. Second, she does nail some of the awkwardness of friends-to-lovers--what if it all goes wrong? What if we're terrible at kissing? Isn't this kind of weird to suddenly love my best friend?

Regardless, I've found both of Pyae Moe Thet War's books to have such an interesting structure and I'm definitely willing to pick up more of her cozy romantic suspense novels.

* Thank you to St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. *

A trip to a luxury resort as an escape from writer’s block ends up with Poe and her best friend Zwe on the run from gun-toting women.

I really enjoyed this romp through the “jungle.” There are huge holes in this story which I’m surprised Zwe didn’t point out, but it’s entertaining nonetheless. If you read Here for a Good Time for just that - a light fluffy romance, then you will have a good time.

Pyae Moe Thet War gives away what is supposed to later be a “surprise” right away by everyone’s actions. There is a scene (okay, more than one) that just doesn’t ring true to the situation nor the characters’ intellect. I think this fact is reinforced by how the author has Poe’s thought process figure out other situations in the story.

I like the romance between Poe and Zwe. When you’ve been friends that long I can see why no one would want to rock the boat. Their arguments are raw and real. It’s the sign of true friendship when you can say something and still come back from it.

If you are in the mood for some light escapism with a slightly neurotic writer who is secretly in love with her best friend, read Here for a Good Time.

I loved this author's first book, and I really enjoyed this one! I love how she is able to combine genres of mystery, romance, thriller, etc. with such ease. This was great!

While I had high hopes for this story, it didn’t quite hit the mark for me. The chemistry between Poe and Zwe felt a bit lacking, and at times, Poe came off as self-absorbed, making it hard to root for her as a protagonist. Plus, the ending took a turn that felt a bit far-fetched.

On the bright side, the book shines with its romcom vibes, mystery element, and being a fun read. I particularly enjoyed the fun cameo from characters in the author’s previous work, I Did Something Bad, which added a nice touch.

This book is perfect for readers who love:
- Childhood best friends turning into lovers
- A breathtaking Southeast Asian island setting
- A charming writer and bookseller romance
- The classic “only one bed” trope
- Slow-burn tension that keeps you guessing
- A gripping twist featuring armed intruders

If you’re in the mood for a blend of humor, romance, and unexpected thrills, give Here for a Good Time a try!

This was a very fun friend's to lover's romance with a little adventure twist. Poe and Zwe were a lot of fun together. I enjoyed their friendship and their romantic chemistry. The story of them coming together had a few frustrating moments but mostly was very sweet! I also really appreciated the layers to the heist storyline. It discussed really important issues that I don't want to go too far into for spoiler reasons. But it defiantly made what could have just been a cute romance a little bit deeper. This was my first Pyae Moe Thet War book but I look forward to reading more in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun slow burn romance. Poe and Zwe have been best friends for years and they even live together, but they have always been strictly platonic. Zwe has an easygoing personality and seems to go along with whatever Poe wants, so when Poe wants to go to a luxury resort to cure her writer’s block, Zwe goes along with the plan. Their vacation takes a bumpy turn when the resort is taken over, and Poe finds herself annoyed by Zwe’s interactions with the employee who saves them more than she is terrified.

I am all for friends to lovers and slow burn, but it felt like Zwe’s longtime girlfriend got glossed over a little too quickly. To be clear, they recently broke up, so there’s no cheating, but I felt bad that this poor woman invested in a relationship that was never going to work because Zwe has clearly been in love with Poe for years and likewise, Poe has been in love with Zwe for just as long and neither of these two silly geese realize that their pining could have been resolved years ago. And if it was just the two of them, that would be fine, but again, I feel bad for Zwe’s ex.

Even though the book deals with an armed invasion, the tone remains light, although there were a couple of moments where my disbelief was suspended and I began to worry for everyone’s safety. The book definitely has romcom vibes more than romance novel vibes. Yes, there is a difference. No, I can’t explain the difference.

I would absolutely recommend Here for a Good Time. Despite my concerns, Poe and Zwe are both likeable characters and they have good chemistry together, both as friends and then later as a romantic couple. The resolution was tied up neatly, but it would have been too messy for things to have gone any other way.






I received a digital ARC of this book from St. Martin’s/NetGalley.

Rating: 4.5/5
I received an ARC for my honest opinion.

If you love books that are fast-paced, beautifully written, and packed with mystery, action, romance, and great character development—this one is for you.

The story follows Poe, a bestselling debut author battling the worst case of writer’s block with a looming deadline. Desperate for inspiration, she books a two-week stay at an exclusive island resort and brings her best friend, Zwe, along. But what should have been a relaxing getaway quickly spirals into chaos when masked intruders storm the island, taking guests and workers hostage. Now, Poe and Zwe must navigate the island, avoid danger, and find a way to call for help.

This book was such a fun ride. I loved seeing the “behind-the-scenes” struggles of an author dealing with writer’s block—it felt so real and relatable. Poe herself is witty, sassy, and determined, though what she really wants (besides finishing her book) is love. Watching her puzzle out the “who, what, and why” behind the unfolding danger was gripping. The balance of mystery, action, and romance was well done, making this story an emotional roller coaster I couldn’t put down.

The romance especially stood out. Poe’s complicated feelings for Zwe bubble to the surface—why didn’t he kiss her back in college? Why is she suddenly trying to push other women toward him? Their dynamic, filled with banter, vulnerability, and tension, was one of my favorite parts. Amid all the chaos (yes, even peeing in the bushes while hiding out in the forest), their relationship deepens in ways Poe never expected.

The vivid settings, sharp details, and nonstop action made this a page-turner. I also listened to the audiobook, narrated by Jacqui Burdelang, and she brought Poe to life brilliantly—I honestly wish I knew Poe in real life.

I want thank to NetGalley, SMP, and Macmillan for the opportunity to review this book

This did not end up where I thought it was going and that was a good thing. While I felt the ending was a bit twee and off pace from the rest of the book, this was still very fun and enjoyable. I really liked Poe and Zwe! Definitely a goo beach read, too!

Here for a Good Time comes out next week on August 26, 2025 and you can purchase HERE.

"Are you up?"
A dry, ragged grumble comes out of my phone's speaker before Zwe's empty shell of a voice mumbles, "No."
"Can I come in?"
Another grumble. "It's... two
forty-seven."
Whirling my chair around, I jump to my feet and, still feeling the buzz from my two post-dinner iced coffees, practically skip out of my office. "I know. But you won't believe what I just did."
"Unless it's set the kitchen on fire, I don't-" He pauses. "That better be a masked intruder knocking at my door."
"I'm coming in! Be decent!" I say, hand already turning the doorknob. "And if you're not, get under the covers."