Spotlight & Giveaway: Here for a Good Time by Pyae Moe Thet War

Today, HJ is pleased to share with you Pyae Moe Thet War’s new release: Here for a Good Time: A Novel

In Pyae Moe Thet War’s electrifying and heartfelt new rom-com, a writer’s attempt to find inspiration for her new novel is sabotaged by a vacation gone horribly wrong…and feelings for her off limits best friend.

A trip they’ll never forget…

Poe Myat Sabei has the publishing career that any writer would kill for: her first novel sold at auction, became an international number one bestseller, and is being turned into a Netflix film. But now on deadline for her second book, Poe is facing a catastrophic case of writer’s block. The solution? Book a two-week getaway to an exclusive island resort for her and her best friend Zwe where she’ll undoubtedly be inspired to write her next bestseller.

But the vacation of their dreams disintegrates in a flash when the resort is taken over by a group of masked women who are very armed and very angry. As they try to leave the island before the group can track them down, Poe and Zwe suddenly find themselves facing the kinds of conflicts that only come up when, well, you’re trapped in a life or death situation on a remote island with your (hot) best friend.

Enjoy an exclusive excerpt from Here for a Good Time: A Novel 

From Here for a Good Time by Pyae Moe Thet War. Copyright © 2025 by the author and reprinted by permission of St. Martin’s Publishing Group.

FOUR
Antonio had been waiting for us with a sign with our names on it and the resort’s logo in the top-right corner, but had not noticed that the sign was held upside down, probably because he was finishing off what looked like a cornetto. When we’d walked up to him, necks craned at an angle because we wanted to make sure those were indeed our names, he stuffed the whole remaining bottom quarter of the cone in his mouth like he’d been caught with drugs and didn’t know how else to get rid of them. The professionalism of his resort-branded navy polo shirt was offset by his neon pink shorts and green flip-flops.
He waved and said something that got lost in between vanilla ice cream and chocolate waffle cone. When we cocked our heads in confusion, he held up a finger, and the three of us stood there, waiting for him to finish chewing. “Hi,” he said on his last swallow. “I’m Antonio.” He put out his hand, but right when I was going to take it, retrieved it. “Actually, maybe not. It’s a bit sticky with ice cream,” he said and laughed. When he glanced down and realized that he’d been holding the sign upside down the whole time, he laughed again, not a trace of embarrassment to be found. I got the sense that Antonio wasn’t the type of person who got embarrassed easily, if at all.
Now, after exchanging names and confirming our identification and hotel booking, he takes our suitcases. He doesn’t move, however, instead tilting his head and studying our faces.
“Is everything okay?” I ask.
“No offense, but you two look terrible.” He gestures with a finger at my upper face. “Ms. Poe, as soon as we get to the resort, I’m going to book you in for a facial to get rid of those bags under your eyes.”
Zwe lets out a snicker when Antonio turns his attention to him. Making a cutting motion with two fingers, he gestures at Zwe’s hair. “Mr. Zwe, you should’ve gotten a haircut months ago. Not to worry, we have a barber at the resort as well. And not just any barber, I guarantee you it’ll be the best haircut you’ve had in your life.”
“I—” Zwe begins.
But Antonio removes his white cap and musses up his hair, turning his head left, right, and down to give us the full 360. “See? He cut my hair just a few weeks ago. It helped me get a date the same night.” He grins, perhaps waiting for one of us to say something like I don’t doubt you, tiger.
Zwe’s mouth opens and contorts into a dozen different positions before he finally lets out a succinct “Oh.”
I try to come up with a better, actual compliment for fear that we’ve hurt Antonio’s feelings, but before I can think of one, he’s getting on with business, wheeling our two suitcases toward the airport exit. Flashing an unfaltering grin at the throng of people that fill up the arrivals hall, Antonio snakes his way through as he yells out, “Excuse me! Thank you!” while Zwe and I power walk to keep up with him.
“Did the first staff member we just met insult us to our faces?” Zwe asks. Despite our pace, we’re struggling to keep up, and Antonio doesn’t so much as glance backward to check.
“I like to think of it more as helpful criticism,” I reply. “Look, you’re getting a free haircut out of it.” I tiptoe so I can ruffle his hair, which is tough given our power-walking situation, but I just about manage it.
Zwe glares down at me. “Since when don’t you like my hair?”
“I didn’t say I don’t like your hair. If it makes you feel better, I can get a haircut, too.”
“Why would you do that?” His brows pinch. “Your hair looks great. Apart from that time you tried bangs. Let’s not take another ride on that roller coaster.”
“Fuck you,” I say, tucking my hair behind my ears, one side of my mouth still ticking up into an involuntary half smile.
Before we’ve even left the airport grounds, we learn that Antonio basically grew up at the resort. He’s twenty-four now, but he’s been there since he was a kid. Both of his parents were employees before retiring—they now live in Java—but his grandfather still works there as the person in charge of the on-site organic garden. Another fun fact we find out is that he is an avid bird-watcher. During the thirty-minute Jeep ride to the harbor, he provides a name and fun fact for every bird he sees, already jumping to the next one before we can ask any follow-up questions. I realize that the first human to come up with the term “wacky” probably did so after encountering their own Antonio.
When we reach our destination, I get out of the car and stretch my arms as high as they’ll go, basking in the glorious sunshine after cumulative eight and a half hours in a metal tube in the sky. I’m a city girl at heart, but even I have to admit that the wind, water, earth all seem different here—they smell better, feel purer, like this is how nature is supposed to be. Already, I can sense all of my muscles start to relax, the human equivalent to when a dog shakes out their whole body. This is exactly what I wanted. What I needed.
The boat is about a foot lower than the harbor’s edge, and there’s only a thin wooden plank connecting the two that Antonio promises is secure, despite its general very not-secure appearance. Zwe offers to help with loading the luggage onto the boat, but Antonio smirks and shakes his head. “No offense, Mr. Zwe, but you’re a city man. The last time a city man tried to help me put his suitcase on the boat, I ended up having to fish him out of the water.”

From Here for a Good Time by Pyae Moe Thet War. Copyright © 2025 by the author and reprinted by permission of St. Martin’s Publishing Group.

Excerpt. ©Pyae Moe Thet War. Posted by arrangement with the publisher. All rights reserved.
 
 

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Meet the Author:

PYAE MOE THET WAR is the author of the essay collection You’ve Changed and the novel I Did Something Bad. Born and raised in Yangon, Myanmar, she holds a BA from Bard College at Simon’s Rock, and MA’s from University College London and the University of East Anglia. She currently shares a home (and her food) with her dogs, Gus and Missy. Here For a Good Time is her second novel.

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