Loved the idea behind the books and the execution. Mystery/thriller and romcom all rolled into one. Our Main character, Khin is set to interview a celebrity for Vogue Singapore. It kinda reminded me of Findlay Donovan which is one of my favorite go to series when I am down and need something to pick up. I am so excited to find another book that is similar in feel to that and excited to see what else Pyae Moe Thet War is going to write in the future!

3.75 stars

Every once in a while, I get an invite from NetGalley to read a book, and this is one such occasion. Thanks to NetGalley and St Martins for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Decided to put this one in list format-
Pros-
-This was a quick read
-Solid debut
-A mix of rom/com and mystery
-Loved the setting as I’ve never read a book set in Myanmar
-Enjoyed the overall premise
-Liked what I was given from the characters
Cons-
-Using the murder to make jokes-didn’t sit well with me
-I wish the characters were more fleshed out-made the insta-love seem unbelievable
-Feel as though it ended abruptly
-The murder felt like an afterthought at some point
Overall, a solid debut, just wish I was given more from the characters.

Unfortunately this was a DNF for me at 50%. I loved the representation with the characters, but the plot just did not make sense at all. This book had a very off vibe for involving a murder. I am also not a fan of long chapters. At times I felt there was just too much fluff and not enough progression of the story. Thank you the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC.

This book was definitely not for me. I didn’t enjoy the plot as it was set up similar to a mystery book, but it leaned more towards a romance book. The mystery part had a very unsatisfying ending and in general, there wasn’t enough tension to create the feel of a mystery/thriller book. The characters weren’t my favourite either. I didn’t feel a spark between them and they were a little one dimensional to me. I also couldn’t get intonthe writing style. The pacing felt very slow.

This review will not be posted on my social media.

I Did Something Bad
4.25 ⭐️

Ok I loved this combination of thriller romance! With how this started out, it felt like it was going to be very heavy. While parts were, it definitely brought a lighter tone throughout the story.

Khin is a journalist with a big break when she’s asked to shadow celebrity Tyler Tun for a few months of his filming. After a strange man attacks Khin, the two are forced to work together and hide what really happened.

This story ended up being so sweet. While the third act breakup wasn’t my favorite part of the story, I did love both of their characters and the growth they made. Unique setting and genre combination!

Thanks @netgalley for this ARC!

How to Summon a Fairy Godmother is a twist on the classic fairy tale, blending humor, magic, and romance into a story that challenges traditional notions of happily ever after. Lady Theodosia Balfour, or Theo, is about to be stuck in a life-altering predicament after her stepsister, Princess Beatrice, spreads damaging rumors about their family. Reminiscent of Cinderella, but with a refreshing inversion of the tale's familiar roles. Instead of Cinderella being the center of attention, we hear from Theo, one of the stepsisters. She is seeking help from a fairy godmother to escape an impending forced marriage to the detestable and very, very, very old Duke, who views Theo as nothing more than a vessel for producing heirs, has her in a tailspin and desperate to get out of the nuptials. The desperation of Theo's situation is palpable, and her resolve to find a way out leads her to discover a fairy in her stepsister's old room.

It is a story that blends romance, suspense, and moral dilemmas set in Myanmar. Khin Haymar is a determined freelance journalist who can land a permanent position at Vogue if she can get an exclusive scoop on Tyler Tun, a reclusive Hollywood movie star. The story takes a sharp turn when Khin is threatened by a mysterious man on the movie set, and Tyler intervenes, but the situation turns deadly. Khin and Tyler realize they cannot go to the police, even though the incident was self-defense.

The chemistry between Khin and Tyler is instant, but their relationship deepens as they try to steer the complexities of their shared secret. Initially guarded, Tyler begins to let Khin into his private world, revealing his vulnerability and making his character deeper than just a movie star. On the other hand, Khin walks the fine line between her professional ambition, the moral implications of her actions, and her feelings for Tyler. The tension between her desire to secure her dream job and her growing feelings for Tyler drives the story forward. The situation forces both Khin and Tyler to question their values and the choices they are willing to make to protect themselves and each other. It was a fun, easy read with a steady pace that kept me engaged in the story. It makes you question to what extent would you go to cover up a deadly accident.

I received an ARC ebook for my honest review. Thank you, NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and St. Martin's Griffin.

I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for this early review copy.
The blurb of this book sounded great! I was immediately intrigued and super excited to read this. Sadly this fell flat for me. The main character was annoying and I just couldn’t vibe. I’m hoping after release there will be an audio version that may keep my interest more but for now I’ve got to shelve this one.

5 ⭐ .5 🌶

A rom-com, but make it murdery.

I couldn't get enough for this book, and to find out it's Pyae's debut novel and that she herself was born and raised in Yangon, Myanmar had me giddy as heck. I loved all of the little nods to feminism and racism that she added to this story, it had some very powerful moments that had me in my feels.

I adored Tyler and Khin so much, and all of their friends and family too. May was a-may-zing (sorry, couldn't help myself) and Nay and Thidar were incredible too. This story had some of the bestest best friends. Tyler was such a sweetheart, once I got over my initial suspicions I fell pretty hard for him. Khin broke my heart a time or two... She just had so much baggage and watching her run from it, before finally unpacking it had me all up in my feels.

The ending was perfect. I was so sad to see it end, but I'll definitely be keeping an eye on more from Pyae.

Super fun spin on a mystery + romance book. Believable? Not really but I read to escape so it was a good read! The author did a fun job of plugging in some pop cultural references that were fun to spot.

Thank you to @netgalley and @StMartinsGriffin for this ARC. Khin has been tasked with writing a cover article for Vogue on one of the hottest actors of her time. She is to follow Tyler Tun for a month on his latest project being filmed in Myanmar. On the first day of filming, a body is found on set. This leads to a lot more secrets while their professional relationship blooms. This is a really cute rom-com and it won't be the last book I read by Pyae Moe Thet War! #IDidSomethingBad #PyaeMoeThetWar #StMartinsGriffin #Oct2024

I'm pretty sure this is the first book I've ever read that was set in Myanmar, and I really enjoyed that aspect of it! Overall, this plot made me super nervous - there's a crime committed almost right away (in self-defense!) and the two main characters have to cover it up. Totally acknowledging my privilege here but I do get very stressed out when I'm reading/watching something and characters are trying to cover up a crime from the authorities. The reasoning here was totally legit but it still made me squirmy. Anyway, once I moved past that part, I really liked this. Khin, our main character, is a recently divorced Myanmar journalist who manages to get a dream assignment for Vogue Singapore - an in-depth profile on Hollywood superstar and fellow Myanmar native Tyler Tun. He's filming a movie in Yangon, and agrees to let Khin shadow him for an extended period of time. Khin is struggling to figure things out in here life post-divorce, and she throws herself into the assignment. Unfortunately, on the very first day of shooting, someone tries to attack her and she (and Tyler) end up killing him in self-defense. As they try to hide the crime, they get closer and closer, and a friendship grows into an attraction. This was kind of a romance mixed with a psychological thriller, and ultimately I really enjoyed it (despite my own weirdness about cover-up plots). I would definitely read more from Pya Moe Thet War!

This one was so much fun! I loved the murder aspect of the story. It added such a unique layer, not to mention so many hilarious moments. Tyler and Khin were so sweet together. This one also had great representation in it.

I thought the premise on the description for this book was good. Unfortunately, the story became way too political for me and I had a hard time seeing this as romance, women's fiction, mystery? I'm not sure which genre this book truly belongs in or which one it was meant for. I'm guessing women's fiction because of the topics within the story.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an e-copy of I DID SOMETHING BAD to review.

I rate I DID SOMETHING BAD two out of five stars.

What a fun and sweet romance between an actor and the journalist hired to write a piece on him, that also involves an accidental murder, followed by a police investigation, and lots of pining and a guilty conscience! While there was a lot going on in this story, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I requested this because of the title, and I’m glad I did. I enjoyed the Taylor Swift references and Easter Eggs (Khin being obsessed with Olivia Benson was chef’s kiss).

I highly recommend this if you’re a fan of romance with a suspense subplot and/or a Taylor Swift fan!

I Did Something Bad* by Pyae Moe Thet War is a fun and exciting read that had me hooked from the very beginning. The story follows Khin Haymar, a freelance journalist, who is determined to get an exclusive interview with Hollywood movie star Tyler Tun. Tyler is back in Myanmar to film his latest movie, and Khin’s big break depends on getting the scoop.

What starts as a professional assignment quickly takes a dangerous turn when a man threatens Khin, and Tyler steps in to protect her. Things get out of hand, and soon they find themselves covering up what happened. As they work together to keep their secret and find out who the attacker was, Khin and Tyler grow closer. Their connection feels real, and the way their relationship develops is both sweet and intense.

The story is full of suspense, romance, and a bit of humor, making it a perfect mix of everything I love in a book. Khin’s struggle between wanting to write the story that could make her career and her growing feelings for Tyler adds a lot of tension and makes the story even more interesting.

Pyae Moe Thet War does a great job of blending romance with a thrilling plot. *I Did Something Bad* is a must-read for anyone who loves a good rom-com with a twist. It’s a fun, fast-paced story that’s hard to put down, and I highly recommend it!
#IDidSomethingBad #NetGalley

I Did Something Bad feels like a combination of the two books: Funny You Should Ask and the Finlay Donovan Series in one. I enjoyed both of those books and so nonetheless this one was a hit in my eyes. In this story we follow Khin, a freelance journalist that's known for her strong writing style and ability to discuss topics that are often shied away from. One of her most known articles covers the discussion of abortion clinics in Yangon. Now she's given the opportunity to take on a different type of writing, to write a cover story on the famous Tyler Tun. Tyler is the newest and hottest actor and he has agreed to give the inside exclusive to none other than Vogue. With this new role, Khin must stay with Tyler for 2 months while he's on set to film his newest movie with his best friend, actress May Diamond.

On the first night on set, Khin finds herself in a sticky situation. She gets approached by a stranger that attempts to attack her...but who is he and why does he know who Khin is when she doesn't know him? This is where Khin self defenses a little too hard and......accidentally murders a man with the assistance of Tyler. Now with a murder on her mind and an important article to present to Vogue she needs to learn to keep her thoughts straight, her story straight, and somehow avoid the police from finding out what happened.

This book was very easy to read and I enjoyed seeing the relationship between Tyler and Khin. They were funny and relatable and they take the reader on an adventure as they try to uncover who they accidentally murdered and why he was after Khin. I would recommend this book to people who enjoyed the Finlay Donovan Series and Funny You Should Ask Book. It was my first time reading a book from this author and I look forward to hearing more from her.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC!

This was such a delight. I got a random email offering me this book, and I’m glad I accepted it, because wow was that a treat. Romance? Murder? Plot twists? Every single box was checked here. And this is such a cozy mystery feel as well. The plot itself reeled me in: journalist vests a feature on super private, huge actor, gets to follow him around for two months, but then…a parking lot altercation escalates and here they are covering up a murder together after just meeting. Doesn’t that sound amazing? Well, it was! The author does a really great job of bringing in a few more serious issues while also alleviating the heaviness with humor, which I thought was a fresh way to still bring light to societal issues while keeping the story and light and fun at the same time. The invisible strings that kept connecting as we went on were so much fun to keep discovering, and my predictions as we went were confirmed or denied, which was also fun to play along. This is the author’s debut book, and I honestly cannot recommend it enough! It releases in early October, and would be the perfect one to sprinkle in between some of those darker spooky season reads, and I will definitely be following the author for more!

I enjoyed the writing style and devoured this book fairly quickly! Although the need to suspend disbelief is there (no way would a celebrity fall so easily and quickly for a journalist [ie the media]), but it also wasn’t an exaggerated need for suspension of disbelief (like Finlay Donovan and Dial A for Aunties require). Khin and Tyler had great banter so I loved them as a couple, even though it didn’t fully make sense. I also adored allll the best friends and how much they supported one another when life gets real. As far as the mystery goes, this ending was the only one I could accept for a murder cover up in a rom com that isn’t serious.

Overall, I’d recommend this for rom com lovers who enjoy a dash of mystery

⚠️Content warnings below
Short on page attempt of SA, but ends before getting graphic; stalking, references to abortion, grief over divorce


I will be sharing this review to my Instagram page in October closer to release day

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this novel in exchange for a fair and honest review!

I sincerely enjoyed I Did Something Bad. It had elements of humor, suspense, murder mystery, and romance with a Hollywood-esque setting.

I thought Khin was a strong female lead character, but naturally my favorite character was Tyler... swoon! This was a fun rom-com to read but it was also unconventional and incorporated plenty of other elements within the plot that it stayed fresh and unpredictable.

I was hooked from only a few pages in and found it hard to put this one down. I would definitely read more by this author in the future.

"I Did Something Bad" by Pyae Moe Thet War is an intriguing blend of romance, mystery, and cultural immersion. The story follows Khin Haymar, a freelance journalist in Yangon, Myanmar, who finds herself in a precarious situation after her messy divorce. She gets an opportunity to turn her life around by teaming up with a movie star to cover up a murder. This smart and swoony adventure rom-com explores their dynamic and the lengths they go to protect their secrets.

The book delves into themes of redemption, the complexities of human relationships, and the pursuit of personal growth. It also touches on cultural aspects, providing readers with a glimpse into life in Yangon. The blend of romance and mystery adds layers to the narrative, making it a rich and multifaceted read.