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.

I thoroughly enjoyed the story. It had sprinkles of mystery, drama, romance, and thrills. The characters were likable and projected heavy chemistry between them, and the ending was satisfying.

I posted to Goodreads and plan on posting to Amazon on release day.
Review:
I enjoyed the pacing and story line of this debut book and really enjoyed the mystery/adventure portion of covering up the murder. While there is a slow-burn romance in the book, the rom-com vibe didn't fully come through for me. All in all the book still sucked me into the storyline and kept me engaged waiting to see what the next turn was.
Khin is a journalist writing a scoop on Tyler while he is shooting a film with his best friend. Khin takes the freelance piece motivated by a position with Vogue, but Tyler is private and Khin has her own baggage. Then there's the murder that gives them a shared secret.
Tyler falls first and hard for Khin. The movie star and journalist dynamic is also a fun one because it adds another layer of the characters opening up and the tension building between them.
Thank you NetGalley for the advanced audiobook.

I really wanted to like this, but there was a lot that didn’t work for me.

The romance felt very contrived, there was a lot that was shown and not told. The third act breakdown felt a little ridiculous to me given the nature of Tyler and Khin’s relationship in the beginning.

The wrap up of the suspense plot was not for me as well.

2.5 stars. Lottttttttttssssss of agenda pushing in this one, the romance felt very unrealistic and the light-hearted tone (despite what was happening) made me feel disconnected from the characters.

Khin was just assigned to Tyler, an international superstar and follow him and worry about him and hoping to dig some secrets to make her article a standout.

Khin is attacked by a man and Tyler comes to the rescue. They agreed to hide what happened and they try to figure out why this man attacked Khin. This is where the story started falling apart for me. It made zero sense that they didn't go to the police.

Tyler and Khin are forced to spend a lot time together with the article and they start falling for each other. I didn't really buy their romance.

Khin must decide if she really into Tyler and Tyler must decide if she is just doing this for the article. I really enjoyed Tyler and thought he was a great character.

Overall, a decent debut and I enjoyed the narration by Jacqui Bardelang.

Thank you @macmillan.audio @smpromance @netgalley for a copy of this book.

I could not hit pause on this audiobook! It had me on the edge of my seat, from the mystery to the romance, and I would listen to Jacqui Bardelang read the phone book. I had to rewind when she switched to an Australian accent because it was so good that it caught me off guard! The chemistry between Khin and Tyler was sizzling--we love a man who falls first. All around a fantastic read!