Macmillan Audio ALC
This was such a fun romance that also packed in lots of seriousness, without it killing the vibe. Khin was such an easy character to like. I was invested right away in her feature of Tyler Tun. I'm a sucker for a famous person romance, so I knew from early on that this would be a winner. What set this romance apart for me, though, is the inclusion of a murder and what the characters do about it. I think this was a great way to explore what trust and vulnerability look like. The author was able to explore so many different topics this way without it feeling heavy handed or preachy. I loved all of it and was able to listen in a day. The narration was also superb. She did great voices for all the characters. I can't wait for this author's next book next year.

Khin Hlaing is in limbo. Recently divorced, living in an impersonal condo, and feeling claustrophobic in the same city as her ex, the freelance journalist needs a change. A high profile cover story on one of Hollywood’s hottest actors tied to an opportunity for a full-time staff position at Vogue Singapore could be her way out of this rut.

Tyler Tun is known for keeping things private, but he has offered Khin two months of unfettered access while he is in Myanmar shooting a film and visiting family.

Ever the dedicated reporter, Khin starts being able to read his tells early on. She may just find her chance to learn about the real Tyler Tun. After an incident occurs on set that binds the two of them together, they start to grow even closer.

How and where should that line be drawn between Tyler and Khin’s professional and personal relationships?

And what will happen to them with that shared dark secret looming over their heads?

At a glance:
- Single POV
- Celebrity romance
- Myanmar setting
- Asian characters
- Secrets, secrets, secrets
- Freelance journalist who typically tackles heavier topics
- Popular movie star poised to become the next James Bond
- Supportive friends and family
- Recent divorce
- Slow burn
- Kissing only on page

I got engrossed in this one pretty quickly but struggled a bit trying to pinpoint the tone of the novel. I’m all for swoony romcoms, romdrams, or full-out dramas, but I had a tough time finding the balance in this one. In the end I wish there had either been more development in all of the areas or that some things had been trimmed back to let others shine.

I enjoyed the narration by Jacqui Bardelang. Bardelang tackles various accents in the audiobook and paces the narration well.

I received an advance copy of the audiobook from Macmillan Audio. Review opinions are my own.

3.5⭐️

4.5 stars. I did a combo of this book, with the e-book and the audiobook. The narration by Jacqui Bardelang was awesome. It was very easy to tell the voices apart and the pacing was perfect.

I found this story to be refreshing in that it had a unique storyline. Both MC's are Asian, but the story takes place in Australia. The characters in the audiobook had neither an Asian accent or an Australian accent. Khin is a journalist who is writing an exclusive about Tyler, an American movie star. Khin is to follow him around while he works on his latest movie. On the set one day, Khin is accosted by a strange man and Tyler comes upon them. Things go from bad to worse and they are left in a situation that they are determined to hide from the police. The two get closer (and secrets are shared) as things get more heated and more and more people are drawn into the mess. Khin's knows they have no future together, but her article doesn't seem all that important anymore to her compared to her feelings for Tyler...neither does hiding the truth.

This was a fresh voice (the author's debut novel) for a romantic suspense. I really enjoyed it and hope to read more by this author. Thanks to St. Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the copies. All thoughts are my own.

Thank you to the publishing teams for the review copies! I also want to highlight the excellent voice acting by Jacqui Bardelang—the audiobook was well-produced and enjoyable to listen to.

Overall, I Did Something Bad checks many boxes for a fun romcom but felt somewhat lacking in focus, particularly in terms of chemistry between the main characters. The standard third-act miscommunication felt especially off in this book; the accusations following a kind of insta-love didn’t seem fair, given the brief timeline and the initial setup of their relationship.

At times, the plot veered into a mystery that didn’t feel necessary for developing the romance, leading into some fun but forced romantic action/escapades, followed by a prolonged third-act miscommunication. The writing and dialogue occasionally felt underdeveloped and repetitive, which was particularly noticeable in the audiobook format, limiting my overall engagement with the story.

However, I really loved the secondary characters and the way the story highlighted the importance of friendships—how friends know you and have your back. I only wish the book had leaned more into the rich setting, fully developed the secondary characters, and taken more time to flesh out the central relationship.

I thought this was an intriguing read. I enjoyed the audio quite a bit as the narrator was wonderful to listen to. I loved the premise of a romantic suspense with a touch of murder. I liked the characters since it felt as though Khin and Tyler would never work in the real world because Khin is a journalist and Tyler is an actor and based on history, they shouldn’t be a match. But each were different than I expected and they really connected. I didn’t love that Khin didn’t just tell the truth but I guess then we wouldn’t have a story. How the rest of the plot unfolds was good and I definitely enjoyed the ending.

📚 #BOOKREVIEW 📚
I Did Something Bad by Pyae Moe Thet War
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / Pages: 327 / Genre: Romance
Audiobook Narrator: Jacqui Bardelang
Duration: 11 hours 48 minutes
Release Date: October 8, 2024
🥳#HappyPubDay!🎉

Khin is a freelance journalist who just scored a dream assignment. She’s to shadow heartthrob actor Tyler Tun for two months as he shoots his newest blockbuster hit. Her job is to write a profile piece on this very private celebrity and get the scoop on what he’s really like, who he’s dating, and if he’s going to be the next James Bond. And then, she accidentally murders someone, he helps her cover it up, and that’s how their relationship blossoms. And believe it or not, it’s all incredibly romantic and hilarious. I loved it!

Thank you, @Macmillan.Audio and @NetGalley for my free copy of the audiobook. Jacqui Bardelang did an excellent job narrating it. #MacAudio2024

ALC Review: I Did Something Bad By Pyae Moe Thet War
Pub Day: October 8, 2024

Khin gets the opportunity of a lifetime for a freelance journalist - a cover story for Vogue on a very popular actor - Tyler Tun. And this opportunity could turn into a full time job if she plays her cards right. She is set to spend 6 weeks with Tyler while he is on set for a movie. Khin is recently divorced and trying to figure out what direction her life should take. However, very soon into the movie shoot, something strange happens and Khin and Tyler find themselves covering up a murder...and getting closer to each other in the process.

Read this for:
- setting in Myanmar (a first for me!)
- Asian characters
- Celebrity romance
- Murder coverup
- Single POV
- Divorced FMC

The narration by Jacqui Bardelang was good! She had a lot of accents to contend with and I think did a great job.

Ultimately I think these types of books just aren't for me - they try to do too much while also having a romance and either the plot or the romance (or both!) get shortchanged in my opinion. I don't even know what to call this genre - throm-com (thriller + rom com??)? Adventure romance? I don't know but either way it just did not work for me. I didn't believe the relationship and absolutely did not understand the third act conflict. Tyler gets mad at Khin for...doing her job? Which he absolutely knew she was doing the whole time they knew each other?

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the ALC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Newly divorced and needing a new gig, freelancer Khin has been given a dream assignment for Vogue - spend two months shadowing movie star Tyler Tun on his new movie set in her home town of Myanmar. And if she gets a great scoop on Tyler, Khin can even get a permanent job at Vogue. Tyler however, is very private and not really revealing anything to Khin until one night when Khin is being stalked by a threatening man on set and Tyler steps in to help her cover up a somewhat messy situation and from there their relationship begins. With a dark secret between them, the two get closer and closer until they become, ahem, quite attached (and attracted) to each other. Can they actually work out with their crazy lives? Can they keep their secret from the police?

I listened to this one while preparing Rosh Hashana dinner and it grabbed me instantaneously - I was so happy my husband insisted I make a second brisket because it gave me extra listening time! This was an absolute great listen (and I’m sure it would be a great read as well but I only had the audio). There’s elements of mystery, humor and that whole regular person falling in love with a star element that is always fun. This was totally enjoyable and a high recommendation for a fun read!

4.25 stars

Thank you to Macmillan audio and NetGalley for the ARC to review

This was like rom com with a side of cozy murder mystery. The murder was never really the focus of the story it was more about Khin learning that she needs to accept help and can in fact depend on others and that no matter what she does life just isn’t perfect and sometimes things just happen and plans fall apart but it’s not in fact the end of the world it’s just life. She drive me a bit crazy with her inability to accept that she needed help and that she should take what was offered.

The only downside to the book really because it was fun but it was the end. Well more like it was ye olde 3rd act break up. It was kind of ridiculous because Khin was hired to do a job at no point did she stop doing that job even when her feelings for Tyler changed. So him getting mad about the literal job she was hired to do was kinda dumb. I mean I guess the break up helped move Khin along in her journey but it just didn’t make sense. Otherwise I really enjoyed this book.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC of this audiobook. This was a really cute romcom not thriller at all. The “murder” was played off as funny and the characters were really cute and comical. This was a fun book to relax to.

This book was a cozy 5 stars for me. A rom-com with a murder, sign me up. I was hooked from start to finish.

Khin and Tyler’s chemistry through the whole book drew me in. I loved watching their relationship unfold with such a wild thing like murder bringing them together. Their banter was fun and cute.

Khin had me chuckling throughout the book with her awkward predicaments. The scene in Tyler’s trailer where she is trapped in the bathroom. Outside of her silliness, we got to watch her move through her own grief being newly divorced. You felt her emotions.

Tyler is the golden boy but because he earned the spot of stealing everyone’s hearts. With his type of fame trust can’t come easy, so it was sweet to watch him change.

I enjoyed both main MCs journey to finding themselves, and trying to live outside of societal expectations and pressures.

Pick this up if you want a cute, cozy rom-com with a side of murder.

Thank you MacMillian Audio and NetGalley for this advanced reader copy.

Audio Book Review
I Did Something Bad
By Pyae Moe Thet War
Pub Day: October 8, 2024
Thank you to @macmillan.audio and @netgalley for the ALC.
Blurb: In this smart and swoony adventure rom-com, a journalist and a movie star find themselves teaming up to cover up a murder...and falling for each other in the process.
My thoughts: Khin is so relatable. She is a free lance writer assigned to write an article for Singapore Vogue about Tyler Tun, the popular and handsome actor that’s in a ton of movies. Of course she is excited, and relieved to be able to focus on something other than her recent divorce. She will need to shadow him while he’s on the set of his latest movie, and that will not be a problem.
Tyler is so nice and down to earth. He loves his family and his close friends. He also really glad it’s Khin that’s writing the article (you have to read the book to find out why).
When Tyler witnesses Khin struggling to get away from a man, things quickly progress, and that’s when the panicking begins. They have to get their stories straight. Khin barely knows Tyler- can she trust him with her secret? All the time they end up spending together discussing the death leads to them becoming friends and Tyler revealing more about his life than he ever has. Will Khin be able to keep their friendship separate from her work, and write an article without diving into personal details of his life he told her in confidence?
This is a big what if, and waiting game, and it was a bit addicting. They are friends that secretly want more, all while the authorities keep coming back to the set with more questions about the night the attacker died. It’s part intense with whodunit and part romance wondering when they are going to give in to their mutual attraction.

audio-ARC from NetGalley.

A journalist is given the opportunity of a lifetime when she is assigned to spend 6 weeks with a Hollywood heartthrob, but things take a turn when they find themselves forced to work together to cover up a murder.

This story is a lot of fun. The writing is good. Tyler is adorable. The concept is intriguing. But this wasn't the perfect book for me for two major reasons...

1) The rationalization behind the need for a murder cover-up didn't make sense. Khin explains that, because she's brown and from Myanmar, the cops won't believe her. But no examples were given as to why she felt that way. As a citizen of Myanmar, why would the Myanmar police look less favorably upon her than on some random drunk white dude? Is there a precedent for this? I just didn't understand why she was so convinced that she'd be the one in trouble if the police were notified.

2) The hyperfixation on the topic of abortion. Everyone thought she was a good person because of this abortion article. People love her because she helped them get an abortion. She was being stalked by a bad guy because she supported abortion. The bad guy was stalking her because he thought she had helped his ex-girlfriend get an abortion, but left said ex-girlfriend alone? A teenage girl was knocked up by an adult, but it's okay because Khin helped her get an abortion. Like... why is no one concerned that this grown ass man was sleeping with a 17 year old? Is she okay? Does she have the support system she needs close to home or only her brother on the other side of the planet?

Ultimately, I enjoyed the story for the story's sake, but I found it too political for the sake of being political. If I'd known these hot button political topics were going to be the crux of the story, I probably wouldn't have read it.

I got a thriller / romance combo with I Did Something Bad. It is the story of a journalist, Khin, with an assignment to write a cover story on a famous actor but the two of them get embroiled in a crime in the process. I don’t want to give any spoilers but this book was so much fun. I always love a famous person / regular person love story but these two characters were so much more. So much depth, so many layers that got peeled back as the mystery and the romance blossomed. There were twists and turns with fun romcom vibes mixed in and the back stage look at life of a movie star.

This was a new author for me and I love when a story features asian characters. This was a romcom infused with a mystery. Khin is a journalist who is assigned to get a scoop on Tyler Tun (Hollywood's hottest movie star). One night Khin is assaulted and Tyler steps in. The person that tried to assault Khin is killed in self-defense but why was she targeted. The adventure begins. It was a lot of fun, I was taken on an adventure. Great on audio. Thank you to Netgalley and MacMillian Audio for this advanced audio in exchange for my honest opinion.

I enjoyed this book but I felt like the thriller part of it wasn’t necessary. It might have been better just as a rom-com.

I liked the aspect of a journalist and a major movie start and her having to write a story about him. I also liked that he seemed to fall first and maybe before they even met.

A fantastic romantic suspense debut that features two Asian MCs, Kim, a journalist assigned to write a story about an up and coming famous movie star, Tyler Tun, as he shoots a romcom in Myanmar. When Kim is assaulted one night and accidentally kills a man in self defence, she and Tyler get caught up in a lie, trying to stay out of prison while simultaneously falling in love. Great on audio and perfect for fans of authors like Tara Lush or Mia P. Manansala. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review. I really enjoyed this one and look forward to reading more by this author in the future!!

I thought I Did Something Bad was a fun, fresh and engaging rom com. This felt like something fun to read, despite some of the subject matter being on the heavier side. I could totally see this novel becoming a perfect movie to watch during girls night in!

I picked this up thinking it would either be a play on Taylor Swift’s song or a romcom meets mystery. It was heavier than I expected so not really a romcom and not really a nod to the song. This felt a lot like Finlay Donovan but without the humor. I liked the set-up of journalist meets movie star and suddenly become mixed up together in a murder. I didn’t buy why they made the choice they made as to hide it but once I got past that, the romance was enjoyable if a little fast. However, this author took a chance on including a really polarizing topic as a side plot and unfortunately, I’m on the opposing side of where she obviously lands on that issue which greatly affected my thoughts on this book. I also didn’t love the careless way divorce was discussed. I think someone else without my opinions would enjoy it more.

I received a copy of this audiobook from NetGalley. The thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

Content Notes: Strong language, extremely vague closed door (I’m not sure anything happened)

This was a cute book. I loved the characters and I love watching their relationship grow. The story had some funny parts sprinkled with mystery and romance. This book was enjoyable. I listened to it he audiobook and enjoyed the narrator.