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Duet Me Not
“I can be your practice makes perfect.”
ASHVIN didn’t mean to join the Penang State Synchronized Swimming team. He didn’t mean to go viral when he jumped into that pool and danced with that girl. It all started as a dare to ask his crush to prom, but all it takes is one dare, one wrong choice, to turn his world upside down.
JUNE will do anything to get to the Malaysian national team, even if it means performing a duet with the most annoying boy she’s ever met. With less than three months to win over the council and save her stadium from closing, she needs his help. In exchange, she teaches him how to ask out the girl of his dreams from her own (zero) love experience. After all, like synchronized swimming, practice makes perfect. Even in love. Right?
ASHVIN didn’t mean to join the Penang State Synchronized Swimming team. He didn’t mean to go viral when he jumped into that pool and danced with that girl. It all started as a dare to ask his crush to prom, but all it takes is one dare, one wrong choice, to turn his world upside down.
JUNE will do anything to get to the Malaysian national team, even if it means performing a duet with the most annoying boy she’s ever met. With less than three months to win over the council and save her stadium from closing, she needs his help. In exchange, she teaches him how to ask out the girl of his dreams from her own (zero) love experience. After all, like synchronized swimming, practice makes perfect. Even in love. Right?
355 pages, Paperback
First published June 17, 2023
105 people are currently reading
4574 people want to read
About the author
Lilian Li
2 books197 followersLilian Li is a Malaysian indie author who accidentally fell into the publishing scene during university. She is an island girl from Penang and grew up in a bookstore (literally), where she writes the stories she wished she had growing up.
She unpublished her first novel but hopes to republish one day. Her novels have hit bestselling lists, and her second book won 3rd at The Star Popular Reader's Choice Awards.
She enjoys listening to audiobooks while baking, and her spirit animal is the Milo Dinosaur. You can follow her book recs and rants at @lilianofli on social media.
She unpublished her first novel but hopes to republish one day. Her novels have hit bestselling lists, and her second book won 3rd at The Star Popular Reader's Choice Awards.
She enjoys listening to audiobooks while baking, and her spirit animal is the Milo Dinosaur. You can follow her book recs and rants at @lilianofli on social media.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 159 reviews
August 15, 2023
If I had to describe this book in 1 word it would be disappointing.
PLOT / ROMANCE:
The story made absolutely no sense (on sooo many levels). First of all, Ashvin and his friends came up with dares to prompose to the girls they like, and Ashvin ends up “having to” learn synchronized swimming to impress and prompose to his crush (which is ridiculous, bc this girl literally doesn’t care about synchronized swimming at all . That’s literally a completely unrelated activity… 😐 Why would she care about that???? Just prompose in a way that she’d actually appreciate, like…….?????)
Ashvin tries to learn synchronized swimming from June, who’s basically a pro. She immediately antagonizes him for absolutely no reason. I feel like the author just made them “““hate””” each other so she could say this is enemies-to-lovers, I’m not even joking. 🙄 All of their bickering and “hatred” for each other felt insanely forced. Also, for some reason, even though she “hates” him, June still accepts to teach him synchro…….?? Literally why ??
Then June has some kind of competition and fails miserably so Ashvin jumps in the pool, clumsily dances and splashes around in the water with her (bc at this point he still knows nothing about synchronized swimming), and that somehow helps June and kind of saves her performance…?? First of all, why would the public be charmed by that? Secondly, why would he jump in the pool and make a fool out of himself for someone who’s basically a stranger?? 🫤 And then they go viral for this little ~performance~… Okay. 🫥
Because of the attention this got, June is incentivized to duet with Ashvin, so she has an actual reason to teach him synchro now (even though she had already accepted it despite “hating” him and having literally no reason to do it before. Idk why the author didn’t just make her accept to be his teacher *now* that she actually had something to gain from it, but I digress. Just another thing that makes little to no sense in this book).
Even though Ashvin continues to be relatively nice towards June, she keeps being a bitch for absolutely no reason. She immediately calls him lazy and undetermined despite literally not knowing him. Once again, I feel like the author was just trying to force an enemies-to-lovers thing into this damn book.
Ashvin keeps learning synchronized swimming (which idk if it’s something you can learn in just like 1 or 2 months, but at this point I honestly don’t care). He keeps reminding us that he’s doing all this just to prompose to his crush which, as I already mentioned, makes no fucking sense !!!!!! Why are we still pretending he needs to learn synchro just to prompose??? He can literally just ask the girl out! This is literally all just a stupid dare his friends came up with. The girl he wants to go to prom with doesn’t even care about synchronized swimming at all!!!!!!!!!! Stop this foolishness!!! 😭🤚🏻
It literally gets to the point where his crush asks him out and he declines bc he has swimming practice…….. Like????? 🤨 The whole point of doing this thing is to impress this girl, yet when she actually shows interest in him, he refuses to go out with her???? Isn’t that what you want??? 🤨🤨🤨 And you’re STILL trying to convince me this plan to “get the girl” makes sense??? Bye. 🙄
At around the 40% mark June and Ashvin start fake dating, and I laughed bc I literally had forgotten this book was supposed to be about fake dating lmaoooooooooo 🥴💀🥴💀🥴💀. Idk why it took so long for the idea to even come up. Also, it was mostly irrelevant and unnecessary to the story, so…
Anyways. June and Ashvin end up falling for each other (shocker, I know). I never felt any of their chemistry and their banter wasn’t even amusing (I think June asking Ashvin if he liked his crush’s boogers was supposed to be funny, but I just stared into theimaginary camera like in the Office and sighed). They supposedly “hated” each other yet started catching feelings after a couple of classes. Okay. 😑 I don’t even know why they even saw each other as *FRIENDS*, so when they started saying they were *IN LOVE* it genuinely felt like a slap in the face. Like, goddamn. Where did this come from?? Lmao. 🥴
Overall: boo. The only thing I enjoyed was the open ending.
WRITING:
The writing wasn’t terrible, but it also wasn’t good, and there were a number of things that kept taking me out of the story:
➤ the numerous formatting mistakes
➤ the telling instead of showing
➤ the incessant pop culture references
➤ the fact that he kept calling her a siren/mermaid/sea creature/etc ALL THE TIME!!!!!! Literally every conversation they had!!! IT DROVE ME FUCKING INSANE I SWEAR TO GODDDDDDDDDD
➤ sometimes there were lines that completely pulled me out of the story bc they genuinely sounded like they were written by a child 🥴💀 examples: “Lei Cheng grinned like the awkward smile emoji” ,,,,,,,,, “the conversation continued like a car skidding across pavement. Skrrr, crash, and burn.” ,,,,,,,,, “Motorbikes zoomed by with their tiny honks, beep-beep-beeping” ,,,,,,,,, “he let out the whistle he’d been holding in” ………………????????
➤ there were also some conversations that made no sense to me???? Like, at some point Ashvin asks June “How are you so strong?” and she responds with “Oh, sweetie, I’m not the mermaid. (…) I’m the sea witch.” ❓❓❓ Am I the only one who thinks this answer makes no sense as a response to the question that was asked??? Maybe my brain is just fried at this point. Affff idc anymore.
➤ just overall the fact they kept reiterating the plan even though it made literally no sense.
CHARACTERS:
Ashvani had the typical “Becoming a doctor is YOUR dream, dad, not mine! 😤” story line, which I just didn’t care about.
June had a hobby that I don’t see much of, and it’s clear the author knew a lot about it, which was interesting. But, overall, I just didn’t care about her at all. Her insistence on being antagonistic and making rude assumptions about a complete stranger who did nothing to her definitely put me off. I also didn’t care about her whole “I’m not worth it. I don’t deserve you. You shouldn’t be here.” thing. Sorry. 😬
I’ll forget about the side characters in a day. June’s little brother was okay, I guess. Ashvin’s friends had no distinct personalities; I just saw them as 1 combined entity. June’s friend is so irrelevant I literally forgot she existed *in the middle of the book, as I was reading* 💀. Ashvin says Tara (the girl he liked and wanted to prompose to) had become his friend, but I didn’t really see any of that friendship. I also couldn’t tell you anything about her. So….. 🤷
PLOT / ROMANCE:
The story made absolutely no sense (on sooo many levels). First of all, Ashvin and his friends came up with dares to prompose to the girls they like, and Ashvin ends up “having to” learn synchronized swimming to impress and prompose to his crush (which is ridiculous, bc this girl literally doesn’t care about synchronized swimming at all . That’s literally a completely unrelated activity… 😐 Why would she care about that???? Just prompose in a way that she’d actually appreciate, like…….?????)
Ashvin tries to learn synchronized swimming from June, who’s basically a pro. She immediately antagonizes him for absolutely no reason. I feel like the author just made them “““hate””” each other so she could say this is enemies-to-lovers, I’m not even joking. 🙄 All of their bickering and “hatred” for each other felt insanely forced. Also, for some reason, even though she “hates” him, June still accepts to teach him synchro…….?? Literally why ??
Then June has some kind of competition and fails miserably so Ashvin jumps in the pool, clumsily dances and splashes around in the water with her (bc at this point he still knows nothing about synchronized swimming), and that somehow helps June and kind of saves her performance…?? First of all, why would the public be charmed by that? Secondly, why would he jump in the pool and make a fool out of himself for someone who’s basically a stranger?? 🫤 And then they go viral for this little ~performance~… Okay. 🫥
Because of the attention this got, June is incentivized to duet with Ashvin, so she has an actual reason to teach him synchro now (even though she had already accepted it despite “hating” him and having literally no reason to do it before. Idk why the author didn’t just make her accept to be his teacher *now* that she actually had something to gain from it, but I digress. Just another thing that makes little to no sense in this book).
Even though Ashvin continues to be relatively nice towards June, she keeps being a bitch for absolutely no reason. She immediately calls him lazy and undetermined despite literally not knowing him. Once again, I feel like the author was just trying to force an enemies-to-lovers thing into this damn book.
Ashvin keeps learning synchronized swimming (which idk if it’s something you can learn in just like 1 or 2 months, but at this point I honestly don’t care). He keeps reminding us that he’s doing all this just to prompose to his crush which, as I already mentioned, makes no fucking sense !!!!!! Why are we still pretending he needs to learn synchro just to prompose??? He can literally just ask the girl out! This is literally all just a stupid dare his friends came up with. The girl he wants to go to prom with doesn’t even care about synchronized swimming at all!!!!!!!!!! Stop this foolishness!!! 😭🤚🏻
It literally gets to the point where his crush asks him out and he declines bc he has swimming practice…….. Like????? 🤨 The whole point of doing this thing is to impress this girl, yet when she actually shows interest in him, he refuses to go out with her???? Isn’t that what you want??? 🤨🤨🤨 And you’re STILL trying to convince me this plan to “get the girl” makes sense??? Bye. 🙄
At around the 40% mark June and Ashvin start fake dating, and I laughed bc I literally had forgotten this book was supposed to be about fake dating lmaoooooooooo 🥴💀🥴💀🥴💀. Idk why it took so long for the idea to even come up. Also, it was mostly irrelevant and unnecessary to the story, so…
Anyways. June and Ashvin end up falling for each other (shocker, I know). I never felt any of their chemistry and their banter wasn’t even amusing (I think June asking Ashvin if he liked his crush’s boogers was supposed to be funny, but I just stared into the
Overall: boo. The only thing I enjoyed was the open ending.
WRITING:
The writing wasn’t terrible, but it also wasn’t good, and there were a number of things that kept taking me out of the story:
➤ the numerous formatting mistakes
➤ the telling instead of showing
➤ the incessant pop culture references
➤ the fact that he kept calling her a siren/mermaid/sea creature/etc ALL THE TIME!!!!!! Literally every conversation they had!!! IT DROVE ME FUCKING INSANE I SWEAR TO GODDDDDDDDDD
➤ sometimes there were lines that completely pulled me out of the story bc they genuinely sounded like they were written by a child 🥴💀 examples: “Lei Cheng grinned like the awkward smile emoji” ,,,,,,,,, “the conversation continued like a car skidding across pavement. Skrrr, crash, and burn.” ,,,,,,,,, “Motorbikes zoomed by with their tiny honks, beep-beep-beeping” ,,,,,,,,, “he let out the whistle he’d been holding in” ………………????????
➤ there were also some conversations that made no sense to me???? Like, at some point Ashvin asks June “How are you so strong?” and she responds with “Oh, sweetie, I’m not the mermaid. (…) I’m the sea witch.” ❓❓❓ Am I the only one who thinks this answer makes no sense as a response to the question that was asked??? Maybe my brain is just fried at this point. Affff idc anymore.
➤ just overall the fact they kept reiterating the plan even though it made literally no sense.
CHARACTERS:
Ashvani had the typical “Becoming a doctor is YOUR dream, dad, not mine! 😤” story line, which I just didn’t care about.
June had a hobby that I don’t see much of, and it’s clear the author knew a lot about it, which was interesting. But, overall, I just didn’t care about her at all. Her insistence on being antagonistic and making rude assumptions about a complete stranger who did nothing to her definitely put me off. I also didn’t care about her whole “I’m not worth it. I don’t deserve you. You shouldn’t be here.” thing. Sorry. 😬
I’ll forget about the side characters in a day. June’s little brother was okay, I guess. Ashvin’s friends had no distinct personalities; I just saw them as 1 combined entity. June’s friend is so irrelevant I literally forgot she existed *in the middle of the book, as I was reading* 💀. Ashvin says Tara (the girl he liked and wanted to prompose to) had become his friend, but I didn’t really see any of that friendship. I also couldn’t tell you anything about her. So….. 🤷
Want to read
May 31, 2023malaysian ya sports romcom??? im so ready for this
June 9, 2023
One of the first ones to read 😼
December 31, 2023
no because why am i actually gonna sob ☹️
THIS BOOK WAS B E A U T I F U L LIKE IT WAS SOSOSOSOSO PERFECT AND AAAAAAAOHEDBSJWKEKDJSKJEDJFJSKS
”you can’t wait until you think you’re perfect enough to love and be loved. i will tell you you are worthy enough, good enough, perfect enough for me. for yourself. i wish you could see what i see because i see a strong, beautiful woman who can take on the world with a nose clip and a 100plus.”
shut up.
SHUT UP.
ALJABEDJNSKSNDODJSISNDIDNSJSJDHDISJJEIDJDKSJDIDJDD THEY’RE SO PRECIOUSSSSSSSS 💖💕💓💘💓💘💖💘💓💝💝💖💘💕💓💝💖
rtc 🤭🤭🤭
THIS BOOK WAS B E A U T I F U L LIKE IT WAS SOSOSOSOSO PERFECT AND AAAAAAAOHEDBSJWKEKDJSKJEDJFJSKS
”you can’t wait until you think you’re perfect enough to love and be loved. i will tell you you are worthy enough, good enough, perfect enough for me. for yourself. i wish you could see what i see because i see a strong, beautiful woman who can take on the world with a nose clip and a 100plus.”
shut up.
SHUT UP.
ALJABEDJNSKSNDODJSISNDIDNSJSJDHDISJJEIDJDKSJDIDJDD THEY’RE SO PRECIOUSSSSSSSS 💖💕💓💘💓💘💖💘💓💝💝💖💘💕💓💝💖
rtc 🤭🤭🤭
August 23, 2023
4/5⭐
When I came across this book on TikTok, I thought it was already popular based on the premise, and after reading it, I don't understand why it doesn't have more hype!!
It's the perfect summer book—a lighthearted romance with wholesome friend groups and fantastic family relations.
Basically, you should read it :)
When I came across this book on TikTok, I thought it was already popular based on the premise, and after reading it, I don't understand why it doesn't have more hype!!
It's the perfect summer book—a lighthearted romance with wholesome friend groups and fantastic family relations.
Basically, you should read it :)
August 9, 2025
The banter is on point, and the chemistry is slow-burn perfection. Their vibe kicks off as complete chaos. A dare + accidental duet = pure wildness.
The dialogues are funny. The Malaysian representation is on point, from the vibe of Gila Geng Gang to family pressures and mall outings. And June’s little brother is a total scene-stealer.
That said, some plot points, especially Ashvin's crush situation, wrapped up a bit too neatly and fast. And a few side characters felt a bit flat. They could’ve used more depth.
Still, this book was so full of heart, humour, and local flavour that I can’t not recommend it.
The dialogues are funny. The Malaysian representation is on point, from the vibe of Gila Geng Gang to family pressures and mall outings. And June’s little brother is a total scene-stealer.
That said, some plot points, especially Ashvin's crush situation, wrapped up a bit too neatly and fast. And a few side characters felt a bit flat. They could’ve used more depth.
Still, this book was so full of heart, humour, and local flavour that I can’t not recommend it.
January 25, 2024
slow burn, sports romance, grumpy and sunshine, 2010’s nostalgia!!!!!! sign me up. this is such a sweet and wholesome book and i loved the malaysian references and slang 🥲 june and ashvin deserve everything. also, can we talk about the authors note?? i love how meaningful this book is to the author’s personal life, i might’ve shed a tear or two reading it. can’t wait to read house of koi and everything else lillian li puts out!!
February 20, 2024
edit: second time reading, loved it twice as much
edit: if a book makes me cry — 5 stars
i cant wait for thissss synchronised swimming??? I PREORDERED IT AND U CAN TOO NOW <3
edit: if a book makes me cry — 5 stars
i cant wait for thissss synchronised swimming??? I PREORDERED IT AND U CAN TOO NOW <3
September 28, 2025
2.75 stars ⭐️
I don’t know what I think about this book, it is really double sided for me. I really liked the synchro swimming in the book because I never read something like that. But I think I would have liked this book more when I was around the age of 15 / 16. The characters were a little too young for me, which made that I couldn’t really relate to them easily. I sometimes really cringed at what was happening. ( he called her siren?)
I liked that the book was set in Malaysia but because of the words in the own language that were between the lines I sometimes couldn’t really follow at what was going on. But also because it took me a while to finish the book.
Read this one with my book club and we all came to the same conclusion that it could have been a lot better and that it had potential. 🤭
I don’t know what I think about this book, it is really double sided for me. I really liked the synchro swimming in the book because I never read something like that. But I think I would have liked this book more when I was around the age of 15 / 16. The characters were a little too young for me, which made that I couldn’t really relate to them easily. I sometimes really cringed at what was happening. ( he called her siren?)
I liked that the book was set in Malaysia but because of the words in the own language that were between the lines I sometimes couldn’t really follow at what was going on. But also because it took me a while to finish the book.
Read this one with my book club and we all came to the same conclusion that it could have been a lot better and that it had potential. 🤭
January 5, 2024
➛ 3 stars!! ⭐️
❤️🩹 “and suddenly, it was no longer a dare—but a promise instead.”
this book had tons of potential, but i felt like it fell a bit short ☹️. still, it's not a waste of time – the couple is cute (at times), and the story has its moments 💓
writing 👼 . . . good, but needed a bit of a touch-up. the dialogue flowed naturally, which i loved, but it felt like info overload at times. too many interactions and details thrown together, and i'm sitting there like, “hold up, rewind.” 😭
summary 👼 . . . ashvin , totally unintentionally, ends up joining the penang state synchronized swimming team. why? a dare. a dare that was meant to get his crush (tara) to prom, but life takes a wild turn with one wrong choice. enter june , who's on a mission to make it to the malaysian national team. desperate times call for desperate measures, and she's stuck performing a duet with none other than the most annoying boy in her life—ashvin. why? she needs his help to win over the council and save her stadium from closing. in return, she's on a mission to teach ashvin, with zero love experience, how to ask out the girl of his dreams. (SO MUCH POTENTIAL!!🤧)
plot 👼 . . . the plot had me on a rollercoaster of tropes: enemies to lovers, forced proximity, fake dating (most confusing trope), and more 😟. most of the times it felt like too much, but the story overall was quite cute, funny, and even got emotional towards the end. speaking of endings, it was legit beautiful—i shed a tear or two 🫣
juneashvin 💌 . . . at first, i couldn't be bothered with their weird enemies situation 🥱, but post-50%, their relationship gets cute. they're hilariously oblivious to each other's feelings, and it's entertaining 💓. however, the whole prom-dare thing was a bit odd. like, ashvin should've learned synchro for june, not tara. it would've made much more sense plot wise? 🤨
june💌 . . . i had mixed feelings. she was all groggy and serious all the time 😐, but i get it—pressure from her mom and all 🤷🏾♀️. then, she was always unnecessarily mean to ashvin, though. like, girl, if you dislike him so much, why teach him synchro in the first place?! 🤨 and her feelings for ashvin? went from zero to “i'm in love with ashvin,” so unexpectedly sudden and quick and i'm here like, “wait, what, how?” 😭
ashvin 💌 . . . the golden retriever guy, is adorable but cringey at times (but then i remembered he's a teenager). his flirting? super cute 😭💘. and can we talk about the nickname “siren” for june? loved it! 🥹 but his feelings developing from tara to june happened at lightning speed. like, one day he's kissing (cheek) tara, asking her to prom, and the next day, he's like, "i’m in love with june.” 😟
🧸 overall, a bit confusing and thrown-together, but not a bad read 🙃. if you're into asian (malaysian, to be exact) ya sports rom-coms, give it a shot. it might just hit the right notes for you 💓🤲🏾
🎧 notes !! . . . it's a decent read, not my jam, but i'm diving into another book by this author (house of koi) soon. fingers crossed for a different vibe! 😋
❤️🩹 “and suddenly, it was no longer a dare—but a promise instead.”
this book had tons of potential, but i felt like it fell a bit short ☹️. still, it's not a waste of time – the couple is cute (at times), and the story has its moments 💓
writing 👼 . . . good, but needed a bit of a touch-up. the dialogue flowed naturally, which i loved, but it felt like info overload at times. too many interactions and details thrown together, and i'm sitting there like, “hold up, rewind.” 😭
summary 👼 . . . ashvin , totally unintentionally, ends up joining the penang state synchronized swimming team. why? a dare. a dare that was meant to get his crush (tara) to prom, but life takes a wild turn with one wrong choice. enter june , who's on a mission to make it to the malaysian national team. desperate times call for desperate measures, and she's stuck performing a duet with none other than the most annoying boy in her life—ashvin. why? she needs his help to win over the council and save her stadium from closing. in return, she's on a mission to teach ashvin, with zero love experience, how to ask out the girl of his dreams. (SO MUCH POTENTIAL!!🤧)
plot 👼 . . . the plot had me on a rollercoaster of tropes: enemies to lovers, forced proximity, fake dating (most confusing trope), and more 😟. most of the times it felt like too much, but the story overall was quite cute, funny, and even got emotional towards the end. speaking of endings, it was legit beautiful—i shed a tear or two 🫣
juneashvin 💌 . . . at first, i couldn't be bothered with their weird enemies situation 🥱, but post-50%, their relationship gets cute. they're hilariously oblivious to each other's feelings, and it's entertaining 💓. however, the whole prom-dare thing was a bit odd. like, ashvin should've learned synchro for june, not tara. it would've made much more sense plot wise? 🤨
june💌 . . . i had mixed feelings. she was all groggy and serious all the time 😐, but i get it—pressure from her mom and all 🤷🏾♀️. then, she was always unnecessarily mean to ashvin, though. like, girl, if you dislike him so much, why teach him synchro in the first place?! 🤨 and her feelings for ashvin? went from zero to “i'm in love with ashvin,” so unexpectedly sudden and quick and i'm here like, “wait, what, how?” 😭
“she was in love with a boy in love with someone else.”
ashvin 💌 . . . the golden retriever guy, is adorable but cringey at times (but then i remembered he's a teenager). his flirting? super cute 😭💘. and can we talk about the nickname “siren” for june? loved it! 🥹 but his feelings developing from tara to june happened at lightning speed. like, one day he's kissing (cheek) tara, asking her to prom, and the next day, he's like, "i’m in love with june.” 😟
“love took the shape of june. not a feeling, not a high, not a phase—but a person. a home.”
🧸 overall, a bit confusing and thrown-together, but not a bad read 🙃. if you're into asian (malaysian, to be exact) ya sports rom-coms, give it a shot. it might just hit the right notes for you 💓🤲🏾
🎧 notes !! . . . it's a decent read, not my jam, but i'm diving into another book by this author (house of koi) soon. fingers crossed for a different vibe! 😋
September 28, 2025
Read this with my bookclub and we concluded that this book had a lot of potential, but sadly enough didn’t deliver.
Pro’s
-A sports romance with a new concept
-POC
-Illustrations (we wanted more!😍)
-Playlist with High School Musical
Con’s
-Too many plotlines, some were vague
-Lack of translations sometimes
-Slow-paced
-No chemistry
Pro’s
-A sports romance with a new concept
-POC
-Illustrations (we wanted more!😍)
-Playlist with High School Musical
Con’s
-Too many plotlines, some were vague
-Lack of translations sometimes
-Slow-paced
-No chemistry
June 17, 2024
TLDR; there was an attempt.
It had so much potential, but it fell short in my opinion.
The formatting irked me a lot and there was unnecessary dialogue and conflict that I felt could have been used to explore other ideas (ex: June and Ashvin sharing more of their culture with each other). Furthermore, the book felt like an example of "tell not show" which is not my cup of tea.
It was as if the author wanted to add in all the dreamy scenarios that it became quantity over quality.
Additionally, I could not for the life of me connect with the characters at all. Tara and August were the only characters I cared for because they sounded fairly real. Everyone else just started getting on my nerves (Tara is a girls girl and i liked that a lot, I am happy that she is not a cliché)
I wanted to root for June and Ashvin but every time a sliver of character development occurs they just end up going back to who they used to be, I could not feel a connection because it felt like there was no proper progession of them going from enemies, to friends, to lovers. The way the characters talked felt so, unbelievable.
Especially after all that time, Ashvin could have come up with more nicknames for her beyond calling her "siren". With that much emphasis? It felt like I was getting hints that he was going to call her a mermaid as their relationship was supposed to progress since sirens aren't really viewed in a positive light, but I digress.
Also, as much as I am a sucker for nostalgia... there was just a lot of pop culture references which brings me back to my point that dialogue at times felt unnecessary. Unfortunately it felt like a missed opportunity to share the Malaysian culture with more rhyme and reason, and I only felt seen on a surface level.
This entire book just felt like an advert for a bunch of brands (assuming it is a part of the nostalgia high) I did not understand the huge emphasis placed specifically on 100plus, the whole time I read the reasoning I kept thinking: "yes... and?"
I really wanted to like it, but I do not think this book was for me. It just felt like the plot was going no where and I was so close to DNF-ing.
It had so much potential, but it fell short in my opinion.
The formatting irked me a lot and there was unnecessary dialogue and conflict that I felt could have been used to explore other ideas (ex: June and Ashvin sharing more of their culture with each other). Furthermore, the book felt like an example of "tell not show" which is not my cup of tea.
It was as if the author wanted to add in all the dreamy scenarios that it became quantity over quality.
Additionally, I could not for the life of me connect with the characters at all. Tara and August were the only characters I cared for because they sounded fairly real. Everyone else just started getting on my nerves (Tara is a girls girl and i liked that a lot, I am happy that she is not a cliché)
I wanted to root for June and Ashvin but every time a sliver of character development occurs they just end up going back to who they used to be, I could not feel a connection because it felt like there was no proper progession of them going from enemies, to friends, to lovers. The way the characters talked felt so, unbelievable.
Especially after all that time, Ashvin could have come up with more nicknames for her beyond calling her "siren". With that much emphasis? It felt like I was getting hints that he was going to call her a mermaid as their relationship was supposed to progress since sirens aren't really viewed in a positive light, but I digress.
Also, as much as I am a sucker for nostalgia... there was just a lot of pop culture references which brings me back to my point that dialogue at times felt unnecessary. Unfortunately it felt like a missed opportunity to share the Malaysian culture with more rhyme and reason, and I only felt seen on a surface level.
This entire book just felt like an advert for a bunch of brands (assuming it is a part of the nostalgia high) I did not understand the huge emphasis placed specifically on 100plus, the whole time I read the reasoning I kept thinking: "yes... and?"
I really wanted to like it, but I do not think this book was for me. It just felt like the plot was going no where and I was so close to DNF-ing.
July 22, 2024
even 3/5. didn’t love it but didn’t hate it either.
an unexpected ya, i think im past the demographic for this novel and it would resonate more with middle and high schoolers. the plot didn’t make much sense to me in practicality and it made it hard to fall into the story when i couldn’t grasp why it was happening in the first place.
i love the malay and synchronized swimming aspects of it: two things we don’t often see in this genre and i will sing it praises for that. in the author’s note, li mentions how a lot of this and her other book are rooted in experiences in her life and expanded upon and i think it’s a fun read for those reasons. there were so many lines and words sprinkled in from other languages i really enjoyed seeing that it was sweet and i think added a lot of depth to the book and insight about the diversity of people living in malaysia.
the ending was cute (albeit a little dumb and rude) but the epilogue is actually what really soured this for me. you asked her to be your girlfriend and then never saw her again? this coming from the person who drove 6 hours each direction to watch her? couldn’t have found time when back in malaysia to see her?
given how little it makes sense and obsession with defining love for teenagers (a feeling i don’t think you really understand at that age), i felt like this was a book written by a high schooler for high schoolers which i do not think is the case.
good pickup for younger audiences but just not the right fit for me!
an unexpected ya, i think im past the demographic for this novel and it would resonate more with middle and high schoolers. the plot didn’t make much sense to me in practicality and it made it hard to fall into the story when i couldn’t grasp why it was happening in the first place.
i love the malay and synchronized swimming aspects of it: two things we don’t often see in this genre and i will sing it praises for that. in the author’s note, li mentions how a lot of this and her other book are rooted in experiences in her life and expanded upon and i think it’s a fun read for those reasons. there were so many lines and words sprinkled in from other languages i really enjoyed seeing that it was sweet and i think added a lot of depth to the book and insight about the diversity of people living in malaysia.
the ending was cute (albeit a little dumb and rude) but the epilogue is actually what really soured this for me. you asked her to be your girlfriend and then never saw her again? this coming from the person who drove 6 hours each direction to watch her? couldn’t have found time when back in malaysia to see her?
given how little it makes sense and obsession with defining love for teenagers (a feeling i don’t think you really understand at that age), i felt like this was a book written by a high schooler for high schoolers which i do not think is the case.
good pickup for younger audiences but just not the right fit for me!
July 26, 2023
HOLY SHIT THIS WAS SOOOO GOOD!!!!😍😍😍😍😍
my 24 yr old ass was giggling, screaming and kicking my feet reading this super adorable YA sports romance!!! This book is also the prime example of if you have a phenomenal plot, with amazing characters and great character development, that you don't need a single drop of spice!!!! (I was reading a lot of smut lately and I was just sick and tired of it bc its always the same 🙃)
Seeing June and Ashvin slowly fall in love and building a connection was soooo beautiful to witness!!! They stole my heart and I will keep these two really close to my heart 😊!
Also the combo of "she's mean" and "he's the charming golden boy" slaps every single time!!!!
Reading "Duet me not" felt really nostalgic to me! it was like going back into my childhood and seeing those Disney references ughhhhhhhh I was obsessed 😍😍😍😍.
Like I said the plot, the characters, the writing was perfection AND THIS NEED TO BE ADAPTED INTO A DISNEY MOVIE (if Kenny Ortega sees this: pls for the love of God make it happen!!!!)
I love reading and learning new things! I didn't know anything about synchro and this was super interesting and entertaining!
PS: the playlist slaps soooo fucking hard, especially while reading this book on the treadmill!!!!
Check my TikTok-review: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGJq9sDYA/
my 24 yr old ass was giggling, screaming and kicking my feet reading this super adorable YA sports romance!!! This book is also the prime example of if you have a phenomenal plot, with amazing characters and great character development, that you don't need a single drop of spice!!!! (I was reading a lot of smut lately and I was just sick and tired of it bc its always the same 🙃)
Seeing June and Ashvin slowly fall in love and building a connection was soooo beautiful to witness!!! They stole my heart and I will keep these two really close to my heart 😊!
Also the combo of "she's mean" and "he's the charming golden boy" slaps every single time!!!!
Reading "Duet me not" felt really nostalgic to me! it was like going back into my childhood and seeing those Disney references ughhhhhhhh I was obsessed 😍😍😍😍.
Like I said the plot, the characters, the writing was perfection AND THIS NEED TO BE ADAPTED INTO A DISNEY MOVIE (if Kenny Ortega sees this: pls for the love of God make it happen!!!!)
I love reading and learning new things! I didn't know anything about synchro and this was super interesting and entertaining!
PS: the playlist slaps soooo fucking hard, especially while reading this book on the treadmill!!!!
Check my TikTok-review: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGJq9sDYA/
December 4, 2025
I was kind of lost at the beginning between the long-winded explanations for the swimming stuff, weird writing (with constant pop culture references), and the most unrealistic interactions you can only find in a prom-centered Disney movie.
But I liked the concept, and the fact that when June confesses her feelings to Ashvin, she's prepared to take the rejection if it came next, because she's just happy to been in love and in a go-with-the-flow mindset for once. You rarely see that in situationships. There's also a few illustrations, and they're really good.
It went on wayyyy too long.
But I liked the concept, and the fact that when June confesses her feelings to Ashvin, she's prepared to take the rejection if it came next, because she's just happy to been in love and in a go-with-the-flow mindset for once. You rarely see that in situationships. There's also a few illustrations, and they're really good.
It went on wayyyy too long.
September 14, 2024
I can be your practice makes perfect.
🪼⋆.ೃ࿔*:･
guys yt shorts did not lie i did cry 😭😭
₊⊹ this was a fun read, finding out more about syrcno swimming (which i've never read about) and different cultures + malaysian slang that confused me SOOO bad
₊⊹the characters were a bit cringy but mostly just sweet and lovable
and this book did hit a bit hard to home, there were so many relatable moments with june- i love june so much 💗
pre-read ⋆˚ . ۫꣑ৎ ⋆
~ expected 4 ⭐
~ i need a good crying book and i found this on yt shorts so lets see how this goes 😭
Want to read
May 24, 2023I am absolutely in love with this author and her upcoming book. I mean, I am literally crying and screaming with excitement after Lili announced and revealed the character names. I cannot wait for this book to release 🤧🥰😭 - I am beyond thrilled! Be sure to check back in the future for my thoughts.—XoXo, Sha.
January 1, 2024
I WILL NOT SHUT UP ABOUT THIS BOOK.
As we all know, my IG is the unofficial official fan account for Lilian Li. She is the most talented author out that will tangle your intestines, then arrange them neatly in your body. I mean it figuratively, she's not a doctor, she's my favourite author.
There are so many angles to talk about. The character development was flawless, the plot was solid, no loopholes, Malaysian vibes were 100%. And two characters from "House of Koi", Lilian Li's first book, made an appearance!! I know you're here for a review of this book but IG has word limits. So here are my feelings about the book!
"Duet Me Not" is an enemies to lovers, she fell first but he fell harder YA sports romance set in Malaysia. It is THE FIRST EVER book in Malaysia (possibly the world) about synchro swimming sports romance. I took my time reading this book because I didn't want it to end. It is everything I wish I had read as a teen growing up.
In school, I've been taught that dating and having crushes are bad. One, it affects your studies. Two, we are young and we don't understand the concept of love. It perfectly encapsulates the balance of young minds working hard towards their ambitions and goals while slowly falling in love with one another. Romance as it often does, starts with attraction towards one another. While the attraction was there, it did not affect the protagonists striving to accomplish their goals. They were determined to achieve their pursuits regardless of the romantic feelings between them. Their fondness for one another encouraged them further and allowed them room to grow individually. The ending of the book reminds me of the last episode of K-Drama "Twenty Five, Twenty One". If you finished the book, GO WATCH IT!
It scratched every itch in my brain, it was:
✅ GIRLHOOD and BOYHOOD
✅ THE Bromance
✅ Funny Banter
✅ Relationship between parents and children
✅ Determination and discipline
✅ Coming of age MALAYSIAN ficiton
✅ Two sides of the coin in terms of the middle class and upper class
✅ Figuring out your path
"Duet Me Not" is a YA sports romance book that Malaysia has been preparing itself for. The reading scene in Malaysia is at its PRIME. This book is absolute perfection for all the young teens, adults, all ages, out there. If the storyline isn't for you, that's okay, But I do hope that you'll give it a try and absorb some of the values in it. People have a certain mindset and expectation when they think of the romance genre.
"Isn't it just sappy rom-com love with unrealistic expectations?" is the response I often get from people when I talk about books.
I dare you to read this book. Then, tell me what you think. Don't be jaded, don't be judgemental, just read it with an open mind and heart.
As we all know, my IG is the unofficial official fan account for Lilian Li. She is the most talented author out that will tangle your intestines, then arrange them neatly in your body. I mean it figuratively, she's not a doctor, she's my favourite author.
There are so many angles to talk about. The character development was flawless, the plot was solid, no loopholes, Malaysian vibes were 100%. And two characters from "House of Koi", Lilian Li's first book, made an appearance!! I know you're here for a review of this book but IG has word limits. So here are my feelings about the book!
"Duet Me Not" is an enemies to lovers, she fell first but he fell harder YA sports romance set in Malaysia. It is THE FIRST EVER book in Malaysia (possibly the world) about synchro swimming sports romance. I took my time reading this book because I didn't want it to end. It is everything I wish I had read as a teen growing up.
In school, I've been taught that dating and having crushes are bad. One, it affects your studies. Two, we are young and we don't understand the concept of love. It perfectly encapsulates the balance of young minds working hard towards their ambitions and goals while slowly falling in love with one another. Romance as it often does, starts with attraction towards one another. While the attraction was there, it did not affect the protagonists striving to accomplish their goals. They were determined to achieve their pursuits regardless of the romantic feelings between them. Their fondness for one another encouraged them further and allowed them room to grow individually. The ending of the book reminds me of the last episode of K-Drama "Twenty Five, Twenty One". If you finished the book, GO WATCH IT!
It scratched every itch in my brain, it was:
✅ GIRLHOOD and BOYHOOD
✅ THE Bromance
✅ Funny Banter
✅ Relationship between parents and children
✅ Determination and discipline
✅ Coming of age MALAYSIAN ficiton
✅ Two sides of the coin in terms of the middle class and upper class
✅ Figuring out your path
"Duet Me Not" is a YA sports romance book that Malaysia has been preparing itself for. The reading scene in Malaysia is at its PRIME. This book is absolute perfection for all the young teens, adults, all ages, out there. If the storyline isn't for you, that's okay, But I do hope that you'll give it a try and absorb some of the values in it. People have a certain mindset and expectation when they think of the romance genre.
"Isn't it just sappy rom-com love with unrealistic expectations?" is the response I often get from people when I talk about books.
I dare you to read this book. Then, tell me what you think. Don't be jaded, don't be judgemental, just read it with an open mind and heart.
May 3, 2024
ABSOLUTELY LOVE ASHVIN AND JUNE😭
July 28, 2023
Currently in tears. I was crying as i was listening to Just The Way You Are by bruno mars from the Duet Me Not playlist. I literally skipped out on Kumon to finish it. I have tuition at 9 a.m the next morning but here i am at 00:40 BUT I LOVED THIS OH MY GOD WHERE DO I EVEN START???
I guess first as a Malaysian this book made me feel so like.. WOAHHH there were so many references in the book that never failed to make me just go WOWWW. Ais Jems, Chup and BOBOIBOY??? HELLO? That turned out to be such a sad chapter but haha !!
Speaking of sad chapters the way the chapters go from being sad af to August shouting abt boboiboy for some reason had me flabbergasted.
June's growth was amazing too im so proud of her i love her character so much 🫶
Finally im so happy for June and Ashvin. They survived the great war frfr and im so happy that they both didnt go down some route of totally giving up their dreams for each other. THEY WAITED FOR EACH OTHER. IT WAS BEAUTIFUL. THE TRAIN SCENE? MAGNIFICENT ?? PHENOMENAL?? CHANGED MY LIFE ?? I WAS SOBBING.
Anyways, this book was amazing. Cover is pretty im so happy i impulsively bought this as an exhange for my friend to get another book that i want her to read 👻
1:36 am
i just wanna also add in that i liked the fact that Tara wasn't shoved off like that without any form of justice ykyk?? I liked the fact that she only said yes cuz her parents told her to cuz i genuinely started feeling so bad for her when June kissed Ashvin its like that feeling when you WANT to defend ur fav character but you cant cuz what she did was clearly wrong and so on so on also applies to Ashvin im not gonna elaborate cuz i need to sleep but yea
I guess first as a Malaysian this book made me feel so like.. WOAHHH there were so many references in the book that never failed to make me just go WOWWW. Ais Jems, Chup and BOBOIBOY??? HELLO? That turned out to be such a sad chapter but haha !!
Speaking of sad chapters the way the chapters go from being sad af to August shouting abt boboiboy for some reason had me flabbergasted.
June's growth was amazing too im so proud of her i love her character so much 🫶
Finally im so happy for June and Ashvin. They survived the great war frfr and im so happy that they both didnt go down some route of totally giving up their dreams for each other. THEY WAITED FOR EACH OTHER. IT WAS BEAUTIFUL. THE TRAIN SCENE? MAGNIFICENT ?? PHENOMENAL?? CHANGED MY LIFE ?? I WAS SOBBING.
Anyways, this book was amazing. Cover is pretty im so happy i impulsively bought this as an exhange for my friend to get another book that i want her to read 👻
1:36 am
i just wanna also add in that i liked the fact that Tara wasn't shoved off like that without any form of justice ykyk?? I liked the fact that she only said yes cuz her parents told her to cuz i genuinely started feeling so bad for her when June kissed Ashvin its like that feeling when you WANT to defend ur fav character but you cant cuz what she did was clearly wrong and so on so on also applies to Ashvin im not gonna elaborate cuz i need to sleep but yea
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 12, 2023
My rating : 4.5 / 5 🌟
I was honoured and thrilled to be one of the earliest to read this uniquely Malaysian novel written from the point of view of 2 Malaysian teenagers belonging two starkly different worlds.
Duet Me Not is an oh-so-adorable teen romance novel set in Penang, Malaysia.
Ashvin, skateboard enthusiast and teen heartthrob, belongs to one of the elite (yet wild) international school breed of teen boys who aptly named themselves ‘The Gila Gang’ whereas June, an aspiring national athlete comes from a family of synchronised swimmers, working her way to earn herself a spot at the prestigious school for athletes to reach for her Olympic dreams.
.
What happens when, as fate would have it, these two from very different worlds begin to cross paths?
.
Ashvin was dared to do a synchronised swimming promposal for their upcoming school dance. Though it seems absurd and absolutely impossible, he decides to take on the challenge and swaps his skateboard for nose-clips.
Can he truly pull this off? Time is ticking and prom is inching closer with every passing day!
.
Lilian does it again with this book as she stormed in with tons of late 2k nostalgia (oh, it took me back to my teen years in high school! 🥹) and iconic Malaysian things (I’ll let you read the book to spot them yourself!) ☺️😉
.
I adored the banter between Ashvin and June! It’s such a lovely lighthearted romance that bloomed and matured with every page. If you’re into enemies to friends to lovers trope, you’d surely enjoy this!
I loved the dash of culture and Malaysian perspective of things that Lilian brought into the storyline.
If you’re in the mood for a pick-me-up summery romance, this is it! 🥰
✅ Enemies to friends to lovers
✅ Rom-com
✅ Friendship
✅ Bromance
✅ Banter
✅ Nostalgia
✅ Diversity
Available for preorders now!
I was honoured and thrilled to be one of the earliest to read this uniquely Malaysian novel written from the point of view of 2 Malaysian teenagers belonging two starkly different worlds.
Duet Me Not is an oh-so-adorable teen romance novel set in Penang, Malaysia.
Ashvin, skateboard enthusiast and teen heartthrob, belongs to one of the elite (yet wild) international school breed of teen boys who aptly named themselves ‘The Gila Gang’ whereas June, an aspiring national athlete comes from a family of synchronised swimmers, working her way to earn herself a spot at the prestigious school for athletes to reach for her Olympic dreams.
.
What happens when, as fate would have it, these two from very different worlds begin to cross paths?
.
Ashvin was dared to do a synchronised swimming promposal for their upcoming school dance. Though it seems absurd and absolutely impossible, he decides to take on the challenge and swaps his skateboard for nose-clips.
Can he truly pull this off? Time is ticking and prom is inching closer with every passing day!
.
Lilian does it again with this book as she stormed in with tons of late 2k nostalgia (oh, it took me back to my teen years in high school! 🥹) and iconic Malaysian things (I’ll let you read the book to spot them yourself!) ☺️😉
.
I adored the banter between Ashvin and June! It’s such a lovely lighthearted romance that bloomed and matured with every page. If you’re into enemies to friends to lovers trope, you’d surely enjoy this!
I loved the dash of culture and Malaysian perspective of things that Lilian brought into the storyline.
If you’re in the mood for a pick-me-up summery romance, this is it! 🥰
✅ Enemies to friends to lovers
✅ Rom-com
✅ Friendship
✅ Bromance
✅ Banter
✅ Nostalgia
✅ Diversity
Available for preorders now!
August 5, 2024
Bought this book last year when it first came out and I bought the signed edition with bookmark but I didn’t come around to read it until til I saw a moot’s review about it. Would’ve finished earlier if I could have tome of my own, but life sucks
The book is beautifully written. I love synchronised swimming but never learnt much about it, and Lilian Li’s description is perfect for people like me who knew nothing about the sport. Very informative
I love the slow burn romance between June & Ashvin. I’m actually having a really bad headache and wearing glasses indoors at night but I just need to finish reading this book. I rarely savour any books but this one, I savour it
This book makes me feel a lot of things. It reminds me of my times in school, the times I feel something for someone (I havent dated in almost a decade now), the crazy impulse to do something gila, the frustration and the pressure of being raised in an Asian household, the stress of having to do good because the older sibling couldn’t or wouldn’t.. it just hits right at home
The book is beautifully written. I love synchronised swimming but never learnt much about it, and Lilian Li’s description is perfect for people like me who knew nothing about the sport. Very informative
I love the slow burn romance between June & Ashvin. I’m actually having a really bad headache and wearing glasses indoors at night but I just need to finish reading this book. I rarely savour any books but this one, I savour it
This book makes me feel a lot of things. It reminds me of my times in school, the times I feel something for someone (I havent dated in almost a decade now), the crazy impulse to do something gila, the frustration and the pressure of being raised in an Asian household, the stress of having to do good because the older sibling couldn’t or wouldn’t.. it just hits right at home
July 19, 2024
i’d give the actual rating a 3.6 but we round up bc i’m nice. we are gonna go through my issues with this book together ok?? WHY WAS JUNE SO MEAN?? she was like actually awful?? like i get the girl is insecure but like what the heck. the only good thing june said in the book was that she wasn’t good enough for ashvin. BC YEAH SHE WASNT. ashvin was great but JUNE??? someone tranquilizer her please she needs to be stopped. like the only explanation for ashvin liking her was that he’s just into being bullied and gaslit. june is not a girl i can support bc what happened to honesty and kindness?? i literally have it out for june oh my gosh
August 18, 2024
Duet Me Not by Lilian Li
P/rating: 5/5 ⭐
Trope(s): slow burn, YA sports romance, enemies-to-friends-to-lover, fake dating, she fell first he fell harder
"𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒃𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒑𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒔 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒆𝒄𝒕."
__________________________________
Since it's Olimpic season, so I guess it's a perfect timing for me to read this book just to get into the vibes of synchronized swimming. You know what, it's been a week since I read this book and I can't move on from it. 😭 This book is definitely one of my fav read this year. Ya'll know how much I love cute & fluffy book, and this book has it all! I don't remember how many times I was giggling and kicking my feet in the air while reading this book! 🙈💕
To be honest, I don't quite like to read a slow burn kinda book, but this book is an exception. From the first chapter, it hooked me up to read until the very last page. Ashvin and June is literally too cute to handle that I cannot stop smiling while reading their scene. The way they like each other without realising it but then both fell harder, the way both of them was very passionate while practicing, and the way they're supporting each other is EVERYTHING! ❤️✨💫
Next, I really love everything that was portrayed in this book. Especially when this book was written by a local author, I can feel all the Malaysian culture in this book. It feels nostalgic you know. Forgot to mention: "The Gila-Gila Geng"! Omgg, I love their brotherhood so much! They're so supportive towards each other. 🥺
Overall, this book should be more recognized! This is an underrated book that YOU SHOULD READ once in your life time. This book is not only about a romance story, but it teaches us about determination and passion. ✨
"𝑰'𝒎 𝒕𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒛𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇. 𝒀𝒐𝒖'𝒓𝒆 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒆𝒄𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝒎𝒚 𝒆𝒚𝒆𝒔, 𝒅𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕?" -Ash
"𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌 𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝑨𝒔𝒉𝒗𝒊𝒏. 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒎𝒆 𝒔𝒐 𝒈𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒎...𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒚𝒆𝒕 𝑰 𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒐 𝒎𝒖𝒄𝒉." -June
P/rating: 5/5 ⭐
Trope(s): slow burn, YA sports romance, enemies-to-friends-to-lover, fake dating, she fell first he fell harder
"𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒃𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒑𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒔 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒆𝒄𝒕."
__________________________________
Since it's Olimpic season, so I guess it's a perfect timing for me to read this book just to get into the vibes of synchronized swimming. You know what, it's been a week since I read this book and I can't move on from it. 😭 This book is definitely one of my fav read this year. Ya'll know how much I love cute & fluffy book, and this book has it all! I don't remember how many times I was giggling and kicking my feet in the air while reading this book! 🙈💕
To be honest, I don't quite like to read a slow burn kinda book, but this book is an exception. From the first chapter, it hooked me up to read until the very last page. Ashvin and June is literally too cute to handle that I cannot stop smiling while reading their scene. The way they like each other without realising it but then both fell harder, the way both of them was very passionate while practicing, and the way they're supporting each other is EVERYTHING! ❤️✨💫
Next, I really love everything that was portrayed in this book. Especially when this book was written by a local author, I can feel all the Malaysian culture in this book. It feels nostalgic you know. Forgot to mention: "The Gila-Gila Geng"! Omgg, I love their brotherhood so much! They're so supportive towards each other. 🥺
Overall, this book should be more recognized! This is an underrated book that YOU SHOULD READ once in your life time. This book is not only about a romance story, but it teaches us about determination and passion. ✨
"𝑰'𝒎 𝒕𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒛𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇. 𝒀𝒐𝒖'𝒓𝒆 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒆𝒄𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝒎𝒚 𝒆𝒚𝒆𝒔, 𝒅𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕?" -Ash
"𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌 𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝑨𝒔𝒉𝒗𝒊𝒏. 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒎𝒆 𝒔𝒐 𝒈𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒎...𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒚𝒆𝒕 𝑰 𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒐 𝒎𝒖𝒄𝒉." -June
March 12, 2024
This was such a cute read.
Duet Me Not is a sweet slow burn sports romance based in Penang, Malaysia and centring around synchronised swimming and set in Penang, Malaysia. It was a lot of fun to read, following the well-fleshed out main characters Ashvin and June as they find themselves and fall in love whilst practicing a synchronised swimming duet.
The characters were so cute in this. Ashvin was goofy and funny and June was driven and sharp. One of my personal favourites was June’s younger brother, August. He was just such a ball of sunshine and I found myself really loving the friendship that grew between him and Ashvin. It was beyond cute.
I also really loved Ashvin’s friends! How they came together and made a boys’ synchronised swimming team to support August and Ashvin. They were so adorable.
I’m not a usual reader of contemporary rom coms, but I found myself really falling in love with this one, it had really gentle vibes and I loved reading how Ashvin And June grew into who they needed to be.
Duet Me Not is a sweet slow burn sports romance based in Penang, Malaysia and centring around synchronised swimming and set in Penang, Malaysia. It was a lot of fun to read, following the well-fleshed out main characters Ashvin and June as they find themselves and fall in love whilst practicing a synchronised swimming duet.
The characters were so cute in this. Ashvin was goofy and funny and June was driven and sharp. One of my personal favourites was June’s younger brother, August. He was just such a ball of sunshine and I found myself really loving the friendship that grew between him and Ashvin. It was beyond cute.
I also really loved Ashvin’s friends! How they came together and made a boys’ synchronised swimming team to support August and Ashvin. They were so adorable.
I’m not a usual reader of contemporary rom coms, but I found myself really falling in love with this one, it had really gentle vibes and I loved reading how Ashvin And June grew into who they needed to be.
August 15, 2024
Such a good book written by a fellow Malaysian! I laughed at all the slangs used, I loved how I understood everything! This is going to be in my top 3 at the end of the year. 10/10 and you best believe when I say it's a good book, I kept crying towards the ending.
October 4, 2023
Très mimi, plein de bons souvenirs
February 16, 2024
3.5 stars
Some parts were so infuriating and I went through so much second hand embarrassment but I overall really liked it.
Some parts were so infuriating and I went through so much second hand embarrassment but I overall really liked it.
September 8, 2024
what the HELL WAS THAT ENDING IM GOING TO END IT ALL
November 3, 2024
disappointing ending
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