This has a great plot plus fairly good characters but just didn't fully land for me. I think the romance didn't always feel like it was working for me and I thought they should just stay friends.

As avid readers, we totally understand writer's block! We get it too, but we call it a book hangover. So we feel Poe's stress at not having written on her novel in four months. I mean, what's she supposed to do? She's watching P&P, the 2005 version, and trying everything including building Legos, amd nothing is happening in the new novel! A vacation in the middle of nowhere seems a bit extreme, but you gotta do what you gotta do, right?

Toss in an epic slow burn love story, an epicly dangerous plot twist, and you've got a romcom that book lovers will not want to put down!

"You WERE close to figuring all of this out, and it was because you sat down and plotted. Do that again. Plot."

Such a perfect couple!

"It's almost like..."
"Like what?"
"Like someone went and wrote us a perfect happy ending."

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7337491390

This book was so enjoyable!! I absolutely fell in love with the 2 main characters pretty much right away. The banter between them, the humor was perfect. I loved the rom-com / mystery vibe. The writing style flowed and made it an easy read.
This was my introduction to this author and I am looking forward to reading more.
A solid 4 star read. And I have recommended it to all my reader friends.

No one knows you better than your childhood best friend. This story follows two friends as they navigate a change in their relationships and personal lives. When a trip is planned to aid writers block and reconnect goes wrong, the only thing they have left is each other.

A classic friends-to-lovers story with masked woman, a wild storm all on a lone island.

The opinions shared are my own.

"Here for a Good Time" by Pyae Moe Thet War unfortunately fails to capture the magic of the author's debut work, presenting a friends-to-lovers romance that struggles with pacing and believability. While the author has previously demonstrated storytelling prowess, this sophomore effort misses the mark in several key areas.

The novel's opening chapters lack the immediate hook that made the author's first book so compelling, creating an uphill battle for reader engagement from the start. The slow buildup might work for some slow-burn enthusiasts, but the narrative never quite generates enough momentum to justify the gradual pace.

The central relationship suffers from one of the most frustrating tropes in romance fiction: the obviously compatible couple who remain apart for reasons that feel increasingly contrived as the story progresses. Rather than building delicious tension, this approach creates reader frustration that overshadows any potential enjoyment of the will-they-won't-they dynamic. The characters' reluctance to acknowledge their feelings stretches credibility, making it difficult to invest in their journey.

Where the book particularly struggles is in making a convincing case for why these characters need to overcome obstacles to be together when their compatibility is evident from the earliest pages. Without this essential foundation, the romantic conflict feels manufactured rather than organic, undermining the emotional stakes of the story.

For readers who persevere beyond the halfway point, there may be redeeming qualities to discover. However, the novel's inability to create compelling tension in its early chapters makes it a challenging read that many may choose to set aside before reaching any potential payoff.

Those who particularly enjoy friends-to-lovers stories might find elements to appreciate, but fans of the author's previous work should adjust their expectations accordingly.

Here for a Good Time is a light rom-com-esque story of Poe and Zwe, life-long best friends who embarque in a trip of a lifetime retreat to a small luxurious island in Southeast Asia. Poe has recently taken off in the literary world as an international bestselling author who is in the process of writing her sophomore novel, which is becoming more difficult to begin than she ever anticipated. One sleepless night, Poe makes a 3AM supur of the moment decision to book a trip full of rest and relaxation for herself and Zwe, who is also overworked at his job at his parent's bookstore. Poe is hoping this trip is the spark she needs to get over her writer's block and smash out a second novel.

Once arriving to the island, Poe and Zwe are greeted by comical resort staff Antonio and Leila. They discover that they are the only guests at the resort, and the vacation begins with a day of pampering one could only dream of. The restful vacation they were hoping for comes to an abrupt end as in the middle of the night they are awakened by gunshots and discover that the resort has been taken over by an all female group of masked gunmen. Poe an Zwe are able to escape into the jungle and attempt to make their way up the mountain to the local village and safety.

As they are hiding from the gunmen, Poe and Zwe meet up with Leila and Antonio, who also escape. The four band together on a trip that has many twists and turns both physically and emotionally. A love-triangle, dangerous encounter with the intruders, and betrayal lay ahead as the Poe and Zwe desperately try to escape their dangerous situation.

A story full of action and love that keeps the reader engaged right to the very end. I would recommend this read!

Im in love with this book! It was so suspenseful and scary, then so magical and lovely. Zwe and Poe are adorable and I loved their friendship and their chemistry. They are the literal sweetest couple ever! I also loved the kidnapping scenes and the daring escape. This book was everything rolled into one magnificent story!

First I want to say, well done and so great to see more diverse representation in characters in novels! I would have loved a bit more deep-dive into the characters in description, personality, and their families. But even just the taste we had in this book was so refreshing.

When I first started reading this book, I incorrectly assumed this was another light summer beach read-type romance novel. It started off with a light backstory, a clearly attractive male best friend, and a heavy dose of denial between him and the female lead. I was proven wrong when the predictable beach read plot took a dramatic turn, and the gleeful "will-they-won't-they" suspense was interrupted in the middle of the night with gunfire and invaders.

Without diving into any more details of the plot, I greatly enjoyed the second half of the novel for its fresh take of the 'beach read' romance. However, the ending did feel a little too easily wrapped up, and I wish there had been more consequences for people throughout the plot, given its serious introduction of the terrorists on the island. The Hallmark-like ending brought back such a neat story idea into the territory of "light summer beach read" in the end.

Thank you Pyae Moe Thet War and NetGalley for the free eARC in exchange for my review!

I absolutely loved Here for a Good Time by Pyae Moe Thet War! From the very beginning, I was hooked by the unique premise of a writer escaping to an exclusive island resort to break through her writer's block—only to have her vacation take a hilariously chaotic and unexpectedly dangerous turn. The characters truly brought the story to life, especially Poe and Zwe, whose relationship is filled with witty banter, heartfelt moments, and undeniable chemistry. Watching their bond evolve under such wild and high-stakes circumstances was a delight.

The mix of humor, romance, and suspense was perfectly balanced, making the book both laugh-out-loud funny and emotionally impactful. The storyline kept me on the edge of my seat, with twists I didn’t see coming, and the way the author wove humor into even the most intense moments was brilliant. I also appreciated the depth in the characters, which made their journey all the more engaging.

Here for a Good Time is the kind of book that leaves you smiling and wanting more. It’s clever, heartfelt, and thoroughly entertaining—definitely a must-read for fans of rom-coms with a twist. I can’t recommend it enough, and I’m giving it a glowing 5 stars!

SYNOPSIS

Poe feels distant from her roommate and best friend, Zwe. She’s been caught up with struggling to write a second book after her first became an international bestseller, with a movie deal in the works, and feels like she’s been a terrible friend.

Wanting to be more present, rebuild their relationship, and become inspired to write, she books a getaway for them on an island. After being there a day or so, they’re met with masked gunmen.

What could happen?

RECAP AND REVIEW

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. This review and the associated opinions are mine.

This is a romance book told from Poe’s perspective.

Poe is talkative, emotional, witty and always making jokes. She loves writing books, but is experiencing writer’s block after her success, which makes her wonder if she’ll ever write a good second book, or if she’ll be a one hit wonder.

Zwe is Poe’s beta reader and they have known each other for a long time. He helps his parents run their bookstore, and tends to take the methodical approach to situations.

The story follows Poe and Zwe trying to make it safely off the island, while working through their issues, both with each other and within themselves.

At the beginning the trip, Poe thinks about an almost kiss that happened between them years ago, which Zwe turned down. He and his ex recently broke up, but they’ve been talking again, so she lets it go as best as she can. He also seems to click with the resort’s host, who is responsible for getting them anything and everything they need, including scheduling their days with the activities they want to engage in.

I really loved the first half to three quarters of this book, but certain plot points at the end were a little nonsensical for me to enjoy, and took me out of the reading. I can’t explain without major spoilers. I do appreciate the conversations around gentrification the story brought though.

There’s a twist that I saw coming, but it was fun to see the reveal play out.

At times, Poe and her jealousy got a little annoying because she was a childish about it at times, even if I understood her reasonings. She also brought everything back to her book and writing. Sometimes it worked for me, sometimes it didn’t, like at the end, during a heart to heart she brings it up, though they were discussing something else. Her fears made sense and the revelations she made are important in her journey, but the timing of her saying it was weird to me.

OVERALL

Overall, I give this a 4 out of 5 stars. I really love the beginning of the book, and to me, it made up for parts in the end that I didn’t like. The book ends in happily ever after, so I get why some things happen as they do.

Reading this was a struggle for me.
Poe and Zwe are two best friends from childhood and are living together as Poe finds herself battle severe writer's block. Poe comes off as very indecisive, flighty, and self absorbed and Zwe's character doesn't feel fully believable. I don't know how I would feel having my best friend interrupt my sleep to tell me they are paying for an inclusive luxury resort especially with the information and feelings we learn about later on in the story.
The friends-to-lovers troupe is not always my favorite, mainly because the backstory is sometimes lost, like how or why have they stayed friends especially after a drastic behavior change, as described by Zwe about Poe during the later part of the story, because I wouldn't have stayed friends if they treated me like Poe treated Zwe. He felt like a puppet at times, and along for the ride.
I felt the change from being a romance, will they, won't they with the one-bed troupe too, to action was super sudden and jarring. I felt like it was a completely different book.
Overall, I found it to be fun, but it isn't a story I would recommend for a cozy romance with a bit of action.

I loved this one! I love the mystery and funny moments. This author is for sure one to watch. I loved the last novel too

I wish I had realized that this was part of series because I would have definitely loved to read that first book before reading this. However, this was still a fun read - a little mystery mixed with romance! Kinda busy plot but overall I enjoyed it.

So, unfortunately, this book was a did not finish for me. Reading is an escape for me, so I usually give a book about 50 pages or so, and if it hasn't grabbed me by then, I move on. I have read SO many books lately about authors having writers block, this one needed to work extra hard to get me past that. I may try to pick it up again one day as I'm always curious how things will end, but at the moment I had to give it a pass.

I really enjoyed this book! There's nothing quite like a good "best friends to lovers" story set in an exclusive tropical resort on an island. The combination of romance and action was executed perfectly. I was really rooting for Poe and Zwe. They seemed cute together! The romance unfolded as a slow burn, but it was worth it in the end. Though they were very different from one another, any reader could tell they were meant to be together. The heist added a fun twist to the story. Overall, this was an enjoyable and entertaining book!

Thank you to NetGallery and to St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin for my copy.

This was a fun rom-com wtih a mystery and knives out feel. Wasnt a big fan of the best friends and the tension of will they or wont they get together but overall it was a fun, easy beach read. you don't have to think to much, just enjoy the story for what it is.

What begins as a White Lotus style holiday takes a suspenseful turn as two best friends awake to gunfire and run to escape and hide in the jungle. While I liked the main characters and their story finding each other, I felt that their experience was traumatic and felt too easily resolved.

In Here For A Good Time, Poe is struggling to write her second book so she takes her long time best friend, Zwe, on a fancy island getaway. The getaway turns into a disaster when a group of masked individuals with guns take over the resort.

I think this was fun, at the very least, for most of the book. Even though everything that was happening felt far fetched and the character’s choices made almost no sense, it was a fun weird time. But I didn’t love the ending and I didn’t exactly believe in the couple. I noticed that I heavy sighed a few times towards the end because I just wasn’t feeling it.

I know there’s someone out there who would appreciate a friends to lovers story but I think I’m realizing that it’s not typically for me.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for the advanced copy of this book!

What a memorable and propulsive story. I enjoyed reading it. The characters and setting are interesting and War's writing was excellent. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Author of "I Did Something Bad" wrote this sequel .

The former was a selection from a romance book subscription. They choose the book. The reader has little say on what is sent.

Fair to say was blown away by the prior book, a wonderful mix of mystery, romance and family set outside of the typical setting of Western culture. To say that the expectations for this book were set high is a misnomer.

Knew it would be different, a friends to romance set in an all inclusive resort with some adventure a la 'Romancing the Stone' along the way. Here's what I needed. To invest in the HEA I need more than a surface physical description of the hero ie. brown eyes, soft stomach and dimples. Sure, their interaction was funny at times (see 'opening chapter' , 'conflicting airport times') but where's the stolen glances, the banked jealousy, and the yearning at a close range but often overlooked. Poe's character clearly showed it, Zwe's did not. Also, did not care for the redemption found for the secondary characters.

This ARC was provided by the publisher, St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin, in exchange for an honest review.