Book of 23 of 2025 - ☑️! Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager | Avon, HarperAudio Adult | HarperAudio & Thien-Kim Lam for an ARC & ALC of Something Cheeky by Thien-Kim Lam, and narrated by Vyvy Nguyen & David Lee Huynh, in exchange for my honest review.

After seeing Thien-Kim Lam speak on a few panels of the LA Festival of Books past, I had a hunch I’d enjoy her books. Sharp, relatable, hilarious and a fierce advocate of diversity in romance, my introduction to Lam’s books via Something Cheeky did not disappoint.

Set in DC, Something Cheeky centers around Vietnamese-Americans Zoe Tran & Derek Bui, who met in college. They were best friends, (though Derek always wanted something more) and then their senior year, Zoe left the theater program. At the beginning of the novel, we see Zoe thriving professionally - she owns her own clothing boutique for plus-sized women: Something Cheeky. Derek is a theater director for the biggest theater in the DC area. Derek is directing a Vietnamese Cinderella musical for the theater, with an all-Asian cast, and is able to bring Zoe on as the show’s Costume Designer. In their personal lives, Derek is happy to have Zoe back in his life and things progress from friends again, to being in a relationship. The show’s success could lead to a run on Broadway - both exciting and challenging in its own way when Derek has to deal with his “mentor” trying to make the show less Vietnamese in any way he can.

Zoe, Derek and all of the characters are extremely layered. Bonus points for diversity in its various forms - race/ethnicity, body type, gender & sexuality (Zoe is demisexual). It should also be noted that I’m a huge theater nerd, so the book absolutely spoke to me in that regard. The steamier scenes were well-written and varied.

The narrators, Vyvy Nguyen & David Lee Huynh, are top-notch. I don’t speak Vietnamese, so it was extremely helpful to hear the correct pronunciation for everything, and Nguyen & Huynh gave some beautiful, additional layers to Zoe & Derek in their voice acting.

5/5 ⭐️ overall, and 3/5 🌶️. I look forward to reading more of Thien-Kim Lam’s work, and if Vyvy Nguyen and/or David Lee Huynh are narrating a book, I’ll be excited to listen. #NetGalley #SomethingCheeky 🎭 🧵🎟️

I had such desperately high hopes for this book - an all Asian led and cast musical, retelling a Vietnamese version of Cinderella, with a queer fat female main character. Sounds right up my alley! However this book completely fell flat. Readers are meant to believe that even though the two main characters ended their best friendship in a dramatic fashion, YEARS ago, that our asexual main character could immediately be emotionally and sexually attracted to her ex bff? While I'm not asexual, I felt like this representation would potentially be viewed as problematic for asexual readers. Additionally, I found it extremely disappointing that all of the conflict in this book was centered around an old racist white guy. Let's let BIPOC authors write books that aren't filled with racist side characters -- even if it's realistic.

I do recommend that folks who want to read the book check out the audio (which I listened to) -- as it was very helpful to hear the correct pronunciations of the Vietnamese words and names included in the book.

Overall, I think that this book could've been turned into something great with more feedback during the drafting process.

This was a fun book, with a cast of characters that were memorable and lots of chosen and found family!

This was a very beautiful book. I wanted to see this musical very badly. Tấm Cám, with Derek and Zoe's adjustments, sounds absolutely stunning. I also would love to see the costumes!!

It was a well written book but the romance was in the background and the play was the main storyline. It was nice to see a good sized Asian cast though.

This is a great book for friends-to-lovers readers that blends the career aspirations of the two main characters with a focus on Vietnamese culture. There is plenty of steamy scenes between the plus-size lingerie designer and her former college best friend turned theater director. Lam's character development has you rooting for the happily ever after for these two!

I received a copy of this audiobook from netGalley for a honest review.

I loved this look into the theater world of D.C. and the Vietnamese culture. This romance was so much fun with everyone knowing they were meant to be together but the two of them. He was more aware of his feelings. The ending was perfect for the story but I can't go into too many details without giving the plot away. Definitely worth a read!

This book has some cute concepts, but it overall felt messy. There are too many plot points going on that rely on a timeline that feels out of proportion for the ages of the leads. This man is not Andrew Lloyd Webber, nobody is giving him the money to launch an unwritten musical in 6 weeks. Unless she came from serious money, it is unlikely that a woman in her 20s would have the cash flow to open a boutique shop of her own high-end fashion. Put these characters in their late 30s or early 40s and suddenly everything becomes much more believable for their careers, and the second chance at romance. Also, the female lead's friend group did not feel fully fleshed out, but rather like the author was trying to check off a list of inclusions. Nothing about it was particularly believable or enjoyable to read, which is too bad because the idea was fun and I would love to see this musical if it were a real thing.

I enjoyed this second chance-type book full of culture and sexy times. I’ll admit, I LOVE when the hero is a goner for the FMC from the beginning.

I really enjoyed this. I really enjoyed this. I really enjoyed this. I really enjoyed this. I really enjoyed this. I really enjoyed this. I really enjoyed this. I really enjoyed this. I really enjoyed this. I really enjoyed this. I really enjoyed this. I really enjoyed this. I really enjoyed this. I really enjoyed this. I really enjoyed this. I really enjoyed this. I really enjoyed this. I really enjoyed this. I really enjoyed this. I really enjoyed this. I really enjoyed this. I really enjoyed this. I really enjoyed this. I really enjoyed this. I really enjoyed this. I really enjoyed this. I really enjoyed this. I really enjoyed this. I really enjoyed this. I really enjoyed this. I really enjoyed this. I really enjoyed this. I really enjoyed this. I really enjoyed this. I really enjoyed this. I really enjoyed this.

Thank you to Netgalley and HarperAudio for this copy. I loved it so much. It was so enjoyable and the characters were a fun time.

I absolutely loved this story. I loved the tension; the honest reflection of the pain points for both main characters and their supporting friends and the peek behind the curtain at theatre production.

The narration wasn’t my favourite, particularly during spicy scenes. But the story itself was rich, emotional and I was rooting for a happy ending on every page.

I adored this book. The narration was chef's kiss on this one along with the plot. I adored these two and how their chemistry between these two and the love these two had. I loved them. I loved this. I have only love and appreciation for this story and everyone needs to read it.

4 stars
3 steamy kisses

I really enjoyed this story overall. I remember the blurb and book cover won me over so I was glad to get a chance to listen to this story. The author was new to me and I liked her work. I enjoyed the premise of the story because as a minority I felt I related to some aspects that the charaters faced during the production of this show and overall in life. I appreciated the authors approach to showcase some of these issues.

I recommend checking out this story if you're looking for:

Friends to lovers
Mutual pining
Forced proximity
Costume designer x director/producer

Thank you to HarperAudio and the author for a free advanced lister copy of this book.

3.75

I love all the representation in this book. And all the theater stuff! It was really a fun read and I think has a really great pulse on many issues that Asian Americas face in many professions. I loved the chemistry between the 2 mc’s.

Something Cheeky by Thein Kim Lam is a romance between our plus-size lingerie designer, Zoe, and stage director, Derek. Zoe and Derek were friends back in college, and Derek always had a crush on her. Years later, Derek is directing a Viteames Cinderella rock musical, and Derek asks Zoe to design the costumes for the show. Zoe accepts the job, and they both end up working together. However, the theater's artistic director is making it difficult for the creative team and everyone around him. As Zoe and Derek's connection grows and the tension between the artistic director and creatives rises, will their relationship stay afloat?

As a musical theater performer and nerd, I appreciate this book. I loved all of the musical theater references and the behind-the-scenes of making this musical. I also enjoyed the dynamic between Derek and Zoe (such a cute couple). My only qualm with this book is some of the dialogue between the characters. The dialogue was a bit cringy at times, specifically during the spicy scenes, but other than that, this was such a cute story.

Last week, Thien-Kim Lam released her latest novel, Something Cheeky. I’ve been wanting to read her books, and when I saw the description for this one, I knew it was time to dive in.

Zoe and Derek were best friends in college, but lost touch after she was pushed out of the program. Now Derek is in Washington, D.C. bringing his first musical to the stage, and he wants Zoe to design the costumes. This Vietnamese Cinderella rock musical will shine a light on their culture, and could open the doors for more BIPOC voices in theater. Working together brings back not just friendship, but also romantic feelings. Can a love story fit in amidst their commitment to the musical?

Why I Chose This Book:
I love musicals and theater, so any book with those themes will capture my interest. I was also excited to read more about Vietnamese culture, a former friends-to-lovers romance, and discussions around authentic representation in media.

What I Liked:
- Zoe and Derek! They have great chemistry as friends, and it translates well to their overdue romance finally unfolding all these years later.
- Vietnamese culture and identity. They’re working with an all-Asian cast to bring an authentically Vietnamese musical to the stage, including cultural heritage and language. I loved getting to see a glimpse of that here, as well as discussions around what it means to really be Vietnamese (for example, Derek isn’t fluent in the language).
- Battling Gregzilla. Freaking Greg. He represents everyone who diminishes and dumbs down underrepresented voices. Racism, misogyny, fat-phobia… this guy has no limits. Take him down!
- Mr. Bobbins! What a purrfect cat!
- Zoe’s friend group. Zoe has some wonderful and supportive friends (who appear in the author’s previous books!), and I loved seeing them lift each other up here.

Audiobook
Vyvy Nguyen and David Lee Huynh narrate Zoe and Derek, respectively. Derek’s parts flowed really well and I appreciated his pronunciation and characterization. Zoe’s narration sounded a bit more robotic… still good and very easy to understand, but it could have used more emotion or inflection. But all in all, I did enjoy the audiobook.

Final Thoughts
Something Cheeky is a delightful romance about friends finding each other and love again. I loved the musical development and behind-the-scenes, the Vietnamese culture and language, and fighting back against white-washing and belittling. This is a fantastic novel, and I look forward to reading Thien-Kim Lam’s previous and future books.

Something Cheeky is a heartfelt romance that seamlessly weaves themes of identity, culture, romance, and expectations in this story of the complexity of personal growth – especially when you’ve found yourself with someone from your past.

Following Zoe Tran, a successful plus-size lingerie designer, who is living her dream at her own boutique, Something Cheeky gives the reader a loveable, diverse cast of characters. One such character is Zoe’s college best friend, Derek Bui, whose unexpected return sparks a whirlwind of emotions. Derek is pursuing their college dream to produce a Vietnamese Cinderella rock musical and he needs Zoe to design the costumes – but he also needs to process his long-term love for her. This exciting but high-stakes opportunity for Derek and Zoe becomes contentions when the very white producer requests to de-Asian many elements of the show. How Zoe and Derek respond to the challenge can make or break them.

The representation in Something Cheeky feels genuine and authentic, though I would have loved for Zoe’s demisexuality to be explored in a way that felt deeper. I would have loved more time to explore the romance between Zoe and Derek, but find the rapid tradition from former friends to reconnected lovers to be perfectly reasonably for two adults who clearly harbored feelings for one another for so many years. Frankly, the cultural aspects of the theater and larger community were far more interesting anyway!

A wonderful, quick read for lovers of culturally relevant stories with dynamic characters, a little spice, and romance.

4.5

I liked but didn't love Full Exposure when I read it in 2023, so I was excited to see more from Thien-Kim Lam and this blew my expectations out of the water.

Something Cheeky follows Zoe Tran, a plus size lingerie designer, and her college best friend Derek Bui, who reenters her life when he's preparing to create and direct a version of their dream musical and wants her to design the costumes. As such, this book heavily centers musical theater which I absolutely loved. It criticizes the lack of support and representation for minorities in theater (looking at you Miss Saigon), and more generally criticizes microaggressions faced in the workforce. Lam does an excellent job portraying some of the challenges Zoe faces being a plus size Vietnamese woman. There are chairs she has a hard time sitting comfortably in, when her and Derek get together she wants to keep it a secret because she knows people will assume she slept with him to get the job, and more. Zoe is also demisexual, and I always love to see aspec representation in media.

The relationship is very much he falls first, and I loved watching some of the hijinks that prevent him from confessing. I also appreciated that when the third act conflict occurs, it's primarily external, though I appreciate that the resolution shows clear personal growth.

One of the things I remember loving about Full Exposure, is how Lam incorporated the Vietnamese immigrant experience of New Orleans, and she does the same thing here but with the DMV. Zoe and her parents both have businesses in Eden Center, which is a historically Vietnamese strip mall in Falls Church and that was fun to see.

I mostly listened to the audiobook and I really liked the dual narration. I thought both Vyvy Nguyen and David Lee Huynh encapsulated their characters very well, and I will be looking out for more of their work too. I also didn't realize that Lam's debut Happy Endings was connected to the characters in this and in Full Exposure, so I'm looking forward to going back to read that.

I truly enjoyed this book. There were some hang-ups for me personally. I felt like the book was a bit drawn out and found myself questioning where things were going. Certain aspects of the book weren't always believable for me and I found it hard to suspend disbelief. The spicy scenes needed a little more work in my opinion as a few of them left me cringing a bit. Despite all of this I found the book enjoyable and if anything it sent me on a boba obsessed run for the last two weeks.