Bite Me, Royce Taslim

by Lauren Ho

Acclaimed author of Last Tang Standing and Lucie Yi is Not a Romantic in her YA a sharp yet sweet rivals-to-romance romp through Kuala Lumpur—perfect for fans of Emiko Jean, Abigail Hing Wen, and Kat Cho.

Agnes Chan never expected to be the punchline of her own life . . .

But how else do you explain getting accidentally run over and seeing a lifetime of careful preparation, endless training, and all your hopes of a track scholarship to college destroyed in a split second? Not to mention the only witness to your humiliation being your #1 archnemesis, Royce Taslim.

So, when Agnes finds a new answer to her scholarship predicament in the form of an international stand-up comedy contest for teens, the last person she expects to be up against is also the last person she wants to Royce. Because for years Royce has represented everything Agnes extreme privilege, popularity, and physical perfection (ok maybe she doesn’t hate that part so much).

Behind the scenes, though, Royce’s flawless façade fades away, revealing someone Agnes never expected—someone who shows her that perhaps the best parts of life are the ones you aren’t prepared for—and as the competition heats up, so do things between these two rivals. But will the pressure to win be too much for them to handle—or will Agnes (and Royce) get the last laugh?

Genres: Romance, Young Adult, Contemporary, Young Adult Romance, Fiction, Young Adult Contemporary, Realistic Fiction

320 pages, Hardcover

First published May 7, 2024

About the author

Lauren Ho is a reformed legal counsel who now writes for pleasure.  Hailing from sunny Malaysia, she is currently based in Singapore.

She is the author of bestselling romcoms LAST TANG STANDING (2020) and more recently, LUCIE YI IS NOT A ROMANTIC (2022). BITE ME, ROYCE TASLIM is her first YA novel. 

When she isn't writing, Lauren enjoys watching and occasionally performing stand-up comedy, karaoke and wine "tasting". 

You can reach Lauren on Twitter, IG, and TikTok at @HelloLaurenHo 

Reviews

[Jesse Sutanto · Rating 5 out of 5]

No one writes witty banter quite like Lauren Ho does, and this book is no exception. I became a fan after reading Last Tang Standing, so BMRT is my 3rd Lauren Ho book and she doesn’t disappoint. With every book, Ho tackles surprisingly difficult subjects (but does with a lot of humor). BMRT has an MC who has to rethink her life plan after an injury ends her hopes of becoming an athlete and a gaslighting “friend” who set my teeth on edge, as well as a look at socioeconomic differences. I appreciate how well Ho handled each issue without losing the humor in the book. Loved it and highly recommend!

[Noi (in & out)]

I'll just appreciate the cover from afar thank you
DNF - 8%
---------------------------------
Why is it both exciting and terrifying to read a book when almost none of your friends read it?

Reading this because I need something light
That COVER is precious
Enemies-2-Lovers

[jo ୨୧ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I personally have read cereal boxes that have been more interesting and had more chemistry than this. No hate to the author whatsoever but this was just not it. It'd be a one star but some of the humor kept me reading to see if maybe, just maybe it'd validate the absolute dryness of the cheerios that I got here.

So no, please don't bite me, Royce.

Cover's cute though. Read that instead.

[Audrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

one star off because every character is my opp

[Mia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

With a good dose of angst, relatable characters, and a lighthearted romance, Bite Me, Royce Taslim is a fun YA romance. There are a lot of different dynamics among the cast of characters, but they were all well-executed and added to the delight of this read. Overall I would say this was easy read that went fast for me and I was glad to have the chance to read it!

ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tender and heartfelt enemies to lovers, opposites attract YA debut that sees track star Aggie getting injured and losing her college scholarship. When Aggie is forced to face the reality that she needs to reconsider her life plans, she falls into standup comedy and gets caught up in a love triangle with a new friend and the boy she loves to hate as all three are competing for a standup comedy competition in NYC. Great on audio with excellent mental health rep and recommended for fans of books like This will be funny someday and authors like Tashie Bhuiyan. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

[nandini · Rating 3 out of 5]

the fmc got on my nerves a LOT

[Corey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this rom-com that was HEAVY on the comedic side! Lauren Ho is hilarious and really captures the humor in teenage angst and having a crush that just won’t leave your head. The characters are well-developed and offer a lot to the story beyond just the protagonist’s journey. The romance was very charming and believable, leading me to root for it all the way through. Funny, endearing, exciting, and funny again, Bite Me, Royce Taslim has a lot to offer in an easy to read package! Huge thanks to Disney Publishing Worldwideand and NetGalley for this ARC!

[Lee [Bibliophile Tings] · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Disney Hyperion sending me a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I realized early on that I would not be a fan of Bite Me, Royce Taslim.

⟢ I thought reading about serenades was awkward until I started reading about stand-up comedy.

Simply put, I did not enjoy reading about Agnes and Royce performing stand-up.

Reading about stand-up is like trying to be a part of a conversation taking place on the other side of the room. You can somewhat understand, but there isn't enough context to laugh with everyone else. There is an energy that comes with watching comedy that is not replicated in this book.

⟢ I know people are multi-faceted, but Agnes has too many things going on. I could not keep up.

Agnes is a woman of many interests, which I love but in my opinion, this book would have benefited from a "less is more" approach.

Agnes is introduced as a track star who aspires to study physiology abroad in the United States, win track medals for Malaysia then eventually settle down as a coach. But after her accident, she turns to stand-up. At this point, I had no trouble understanding. I was rooting for her.

Then, all of a sudden, she confesses that she would love to major in creative writing and become a writer. Like, what? When did this happen?

Dreams evolve–I know mine have–but this was too much information for me. I got bogged down by the little details and could not enjoy the book.

In the end, I decided to give Bite Me, Royce Taslim three stars because of the beautifully detailed setting, the entertaining dual POV, and the candid discussions about wealth inequality.

Bottom line: If you're looking for a book set in Asia about silly teens figuring out their lives AND you like stand-up comedy, this is the one for you.

༝༚༝༚
my blog!

[er · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bite Me, Royce Taslim is a young adult novel set in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Agnes and Royce are classmates but more importantly they are archnemeses, or at least that's what Agnes thinks. After an accident that sends Agnes' plans up in flames, she finds herself trying to figure out her life and her future in a completely new way and with the help of someone unexpected.

I enjoyed this quite a lot, but there were a few moments that I wished were written a bit differently. Aside from that, this is a solid ya read.

[Keanna · Rating 1 out of 5]

When I tell you guys that I could write an essay on my issues with this book, I really mean it. I don’t like to publicly bash a book out of the fear that the author will see it, so I’ll leave y’all with this:
This was one of the only times I was on the side of the rich people.
That’s how bad this was.

[janeee :D · Rating 1 out of 5]

read this book if u yearn to read abt:

1. trite portrayals of the pressure on youth
2. misguided truisms on class and the elite
3. a plodding, messy love story
4. comics who make unfunny jokes
5. hollow characters (better described as drafts of them) with trivial, hackneyed aspirations

trust me when i say no one is more disappointed in this book than me. this has been one of my most anticipated reads since its announcement—i even delayed reading it for a month because i was overcome with excitement. southeast asia seldom gets representation, and the premise and cover of this was so promising, but the world is cruel and loves to torture its inhabitants. i thought this would provide me with the same buzz that Chloe and the Kaishao Boys or This Time It’s Real did, but Bite me, Royce Taslim really struck me as the flimsy, pathetic shadow of those excellent y/a romance books lol. what particularly got me was the discussion of class in this book. not only were they a Major part of it, but every time they had been brought up or explored, i found myself shaking my head at the absolute fumble. i didn’t note down specific instances because i didn’t think i going to write this review, but if you read it, trust you’ll understand. vern, a radical poor character, was the only one with the guts to actually Eat The Rich, but it was handled in such a poor manner so as to represent people like him as duplicitous, manipulative villains when in fact it feels like he is the prime victim of a broken system. like, was he wrong ? sure ! but at the end of the day, no matter how much agnes purports her fervent hatred for the rich, she is a liberal who will perpetuate unfair systems instead of contribute to decimating them. also she’s annoying and this book is too long (just like this review!). thank you and goodnight. 1.25 stars.

[Lauren Ho · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hi my beauties

Dropping in to announce my YA debut BITE ME ROYCE TASLIM, a romcom/coming-of age novel chockful of humour and heart and what I believe is the *best* chair joke ever written.

Inspired by my two years as an amateur stand-up comic in Singapore (where I was so ghastly on stage people lost their will to heckle), and my great love for my hometown of Kuala Lumpur, the chaotic (figurative) womb from whence I came, it's for all y'all who believe romcoms should be equally com and rom, fans of stand-up, and all you international school and third culture kids.

I think what's great about ROYCE is it's a story about second chances (in career and life), sweet rivals-to-lovers, chaotic humour, and just---SOUTH-EAST ASIA REP! I mean, how often do we see contemporary (English-language) books set in freaking Malaysia?

Some basic CW: gaslighting, toxic friendships-- I might have missed others, so please feel free to add in comments.

General note: please take care of yourselves online. Be kind to each other (in general on all social media platforms)--I'm momming you, but also speaking to you as a fellow human.

Remember that behind every screen is a real-life living being that (hopefully) has the capacity to change for the better.

With love,

Lauren

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the digital ARC!

So, I need to start this review by saying that I hated Agnes. She was a horrible person with a horrible attitude, and I found myself actively rooting against her.

Now, you're probably wondering why. Agnes is a Chinese-Malaysian high schooler whose dream is to go to the University of Maryland and compete in the NCAA for track before hopefully becoming the first Malaysian gold medalist at the Olympics in athletics. This all comes crashing down when she gets hit by a car and breaks her leg—suddenly, she needs to figure something else out, fast.

She also has a rivalry with Royce Taslim, the rich boy captain of the boy's athletics team at her school. It's important to note that he's rich because Agnes's friends at this school are rich. After all, it's an international school. So there's basically modern-day Malaysian royalty there. Royce Taslim's family are billionaires in Indonesia/Malaysia, whilst Agnes' best friend, Zee, is the granddaughter of one of Malaysia's founders. She's surrounded by rich people, and the only reason she's attending is because her mum married Stanley, a Haitian-American who has been teaching at the school.

I appreciated Agnes' determination to succeed at first - she had the odds stacked against her and was the underdog. But then she met Vern, and she just became an awful person. Vern was vile. He's from the same background as Agnes, and they used to go to the same school before she transferred to the international school. But he's filled with anger, rage, and venom that he spills into Agnes. He's got a bone to pick with all the rich people in Malaysia, and he doesn't hesitate to fill Agnes' head with all his crap.

Don't get me wrong, Agnes deserved to have another friend who wasn't rich to give her some good balance. But Vern was just poison.

Royce was an absolute darling - you could tell he had the biggest crush on her from the beginning, and quite frankly, Agnes did not deserve him. He should've turned around and walked away from her after she hurt him the first time, but instead, we have a story where she CONSTANTLY hurts the people closest to her who genuinely care about her. Her best friend, Zee, never made Agnes feel bad about their class or money difference, and she actively wanted to be part of Agnes' life, but it was Agnes who kept her away. Who kept pushing her insecurities onto her friends and ran the very real risk of losing everyone.

You could argue it's because she was the odd one out in school, but we're shown that it's actually just that Agnes is a terrible person. There's a moment where she tries to reconnect with her old teammates and they have a moment of brutal honesty where they basically tell her that she's an awful person who makes everyone around her uncomfortable and unhappy. They literally point out that she bullied them to the point they were scared to beat her or not do well enough. They even point out that their coach is now much calmer and relaxed now she's gone!

So it's very clear that the problem has always been Agnes. And she doesn't learn! She listens to the dumb stuff Vern tells her and she spouts it out and causes absolute chaos, then acts upset when it blows up in her face. Royce is open and honest about his mental breakdown with her, and she feels sorry for him before just...continuing to act petulant. I get she's a teenager, but the level of childishness was unreal. There's a moment later where she very nearly destroys Royce's life - literally, he's getting death threats because she was a petty child.

A lot of this was due to Vern, but there was a LOT that was all Agnes. There's a moment where Royce is telling her about his mental health issues and how everyone treats him like an unexploded bomb, basically, and she even makes the connection between how she treats her mum. Because her mum had depression at one point, and therefore Agnes has forever treated her like a fragile child who can't handle whatever life has given her. I get the need to appease her mum and make her mum happy, especially surrounding her birth circumstances, but she acknowledges how she's being unfair to her mum and then...continues to do it? Even when it's made VERY clear that her mum would probably be supportive.

Again, Agnes needed another friend of her class/money level because it ended up a weird scenario where you're rooting for the rich folk and demonising the poor. Royce and Zee were amazing and caring friends, but Agnes really did need someone on her level. Someone who was not the venomous Vern.

I'll say it again - Royce deserved better than Agnes, and so did Zee, frankly. Zee forgave Agnes for all her crap way too easily.

[lulu wilford · Rating 4 out of 5]

really good but the secondhand embarrassment kept it from being 5 stars

[Michaela · Rating 5 out of 5]

(Arc)

'Bite Me, Royce Taslim' is Lauren Ho's debut into YA and my goodness, is she a master of it. I have previously read the other 2 books by Ho and I had expectations for this book and thankfully those expectations were met. Fun characters that were lighthearted but also had a more serious and real tone to them, a story plot that was quite academic based but not too overwhelming that I'd qualify it as academia. Lauren Ho is a talent in the romance field and this book is just further evidence of that.

[seph 书灵 · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wasn't too far in into Bite Me, Royce Taslim to know I was not a fan. Lauren Ho's junior book contains two demographics I dislike heavily:

1) Malaysian Chinese stand-up comedians (Unfunny, overrated, cringy)
2) "Relatable" ultra-rich Malaysians (Far removed from the realities of the common people. More on that below)

Lauren Ho tries to weave a tale of class disparity. It does not succeed. It's a very naive outlook of Malaysia's class dynamics. Golden boy and the stealer of Agnes Chan's heart Royce Taslim wants to be a star comedian. His obstacles? He doesn't have substantial material for comedy because he pretends to be a Poor Tortured Artist. He hides his comedian alter ego so his helicopter parents wouldn't fret about the paparazzi. You know, REAL issues. Well, to be fair, his mental illness is a real issue. But I can't take his character seriously knowing he'd have no problems getting healthcare. And there's Zalifah "Zee" Bakri. A descendant to one of Malaysia's founding fathers and a child to the current chief minister. But she's not like other rich people, you see. Agnes is poor and they're best friends anyway. Agnes having occasional moments of class consciousness is just her being judgemental. These are the people I'm being convinced to feel sympathy for? Stop.

This book made me furious up to the last 2%. In an attempt to level the playing field, Royce makes a (small) sacrifice. So, okay, my anger was abated a little after that. Even so, the way this book portrays poor Malaysian (Chinese) does not sit right with me. Vern Goh, rival comedian to the rich male lead, is posited as the representative of the dirt poor. Poor as in literal child labor, working at the age of thirteen. As a young adult, he is a pushy, manipulative, hot-tempered, troublemaker. He gaslights his fellow working-class peer Agnes. This strangely echoes of (post)colonial stereotypes of Malaya's revolutionaries, many of whom came from poor families. Even more so when a good portion of them were of Chinese minority identity. Him being the only actual person or thing getting between Agnes' and Royce's budding relationship is rather insidious. Where's the nuanced class issues I was promised?

To add salt to the wound, both Royce and Zee are characterized as the antithesis to Vern; generous, understanding, forgiving. Agnes' supposed character journey is re-discovering who her "true friends" are - whom comes from inherited wealth, if I may add - while the toxic friend who shares her socioeconomic status is painted as a one-dimensional villain. It sends the message that poor Malaysians are resentful because we choose to be. Even with a still corrupt system uphold by our elites, we're not given as much empathy nor benefit of the doubt. I know it's an unspoken rule that the third wheel in the love triangle had to be ass but it's disappointing how real issues in my country is reduced to teenage drama with such little thought. The only good thing about BMRT is Agnes' relationship with her mother.

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Audio

Ok...this is just not my jam or style. Was the main character annoying because of how she was written or did the person narrating the audiobook make it sound more annoying?

I liked elements of this book but it just kept on going and I just couldn't relate and/or like any of the characters.

[amina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Agnes was annoying

[Lid]

DNF 44%

Bite Me, Royce Taslim tenía pinta de ser mi proxima obsesion YA. Tiene todos los ingredientes:
✨Un rivals to lovers con un chico cuco y una chica que saca conclusiones rápidas
✨Ella es una chica pobre en una escuela de ricos
✨Ambientado en un país asiático: Malasia
✨Lucha por conseguir sus sueños en formato de unirse a un stand-up comedy donde está su rival.

Se me antojaba una mezcla entre Jaque mate al amor y XO, Kitty y de verdad que lo empecé con muchas ganas. No obstante, si bien los ingredientes están bien, no he logrado conectar.

La protagonista tiene una situación con la que normalmente me empaparía y estaría super supportive, sin embargo me ha dejado bastante meh.

Siento que la historia se desarrollaba muy lenta, como del día a día de la prota con cosas que no me aportaban y me ha faltado esa desesperación, esa chicha de búsqueda para conectar. Lo tiene pero a un nivel que a mi personalmente se me ha hecho muy lineal no me ha funcionado.


Por su parte Royce tenía pintaza y tiene momentos que se le ve que puede ser un pedazo de book boyfriend. Pero a medio libro apenas me ha dado más que un par de momentos muy esporádicos y no me es suficiente. Lo mismo me pasa con el resto de personajes, están y tienen buena base pero no me llega.

A su vez la ambientación tampoco se me hace nada diferente a si estuviera ambientada en USA y la química entre el par no me convencía.

Siento que este es el típico libro de "no eres tú, soy yo" porque real que veo la buena base pero la forma de desarrollarlo no me está funcionando. Me da rabia porque está bien escrito, se nota que se ha buscado caracterizar los personajes pero algo pasa por mi cabeza que se queda de mono dándole a los platillos.

[Lisa Pineo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a bit torn about this book. I enjoyed a lot of it, while bored about a third of it, liked some of the characters, but not really the main character, found it to be too long and plodding but overall a decent YA story. The romance part of this book was a slow burn, mainly because Agnes was so naïve, clueless, unaware/unable to admit her own feelings and being manipulated by Vern. Really, Royce should have moved on before she finally got around to actually agreeing to be his girlfriend. I know a lot of the story came from Ho's actual experiences as a comic but I'm not sure if that's just how she was a natural at doing shows, kept going to them and eventually got well known by entering a contest or if that also involves a relationship, a "friend" who wasn't really, a rich best friend, etc. I have to say for a book by a comic I didn't really laugh or even crack a smile more than a couple times. I was main frustrated by Agnes's cluelessness, lying, not taking responsibility for her actions (even when she did she really shifted the blame on Vern), treating her friends like crap and not seeing that Vern was a sketchy guy gaslighting her. The overall plot was cool, I did want to read to the end to see how it all wrapped up but I doubt I'll remember much about the book by next year.

[sasha · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really into this for the first 60% and then we just went tumbling fast downhill with how uncoordinated the storytelling gets. Time passes very quickly from scene to scene, but we sometimes linger on moments that didn't need to be lingered on. The "banter" between Agnes and Royce and the "jokes" that Agnes' narration is chock full of are not in the slightest bit funny, nor do they contribute well to building the image of Agnes as a really promising young stand-up comic. I don't understand why Royce and Agnes like each other. I thought the commentary on class divisions and mental health was done the best, out of all the topics explored but this still felt so lacking. Perhaps worst of all, we never even get an in-book reference to the book's title (if it did happen, I totally missed it)!!!

[Melanie (words.aremagic) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Bite Me, Royce Taslim. It set in Malaysia and follows Agnes Chan who is being forced to find a new dream. She had always planned to have a running scholarship to get her into a D1 college in the States, but an injury derails that plan. Forced to confront her world changing she stumbles across comedy and perhaps a new way to reach her dream. The focus of the have and have nots, plus the different impacts parentals can have on your future really made this story dynamic. And then there was some light romance thrown in that really made this story pop!

[Christy Broderick⁷ · Rating 5 out of 5]

The comedic rom-com tension between Royce and Agnes was everything! What a fun YA debut by Lauren Ho ❤️ There were many moments where I wanted to hug both MCs, but they found ways to work through situations and had each other to lean on when times got a little rough. I am Team Royce all the way 🎤⭐️

[The Paper Fan · Rating 3 out of 5]

'Bite Me' by Royce Taslim had some really intriguing elements. The comedy competition, the love triangle, and the hidden identity trope all caught my attention. The exploration of Kuala Lumpur's teen culture was a unique touch. The FMC's character growth and journey of self-acceptance were compelling, and I appreciated the themes of adaptability and resilience.

[clarabella ♡ · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 🌟 i feel like this had so much potential.. so many funny possibilities and plot points but they just did not stack together in an enjoyable or compelling way i felt like so many things got lost and forgotten and there were so many cliches

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very much enjoyed. Somewhat similar tone to Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood if you need a read a like.

[anz]

This one’s a DNF at about 40% for now…

[malia ! · Rating 3 out of 5]

i hated vern and i think thats the whole point but it made me hate agnes which i in fact dont think was the point..
i loved royce tho heh

[ErinLikesReading · Rating 4 out of 5]

Something about this book felt so familiar at first, with two highschool track stars who tolerate each other at best, it looks like an enemies to lovers that will hit every normal piece of the trope, but it takes a turn as Agnes is injured and has to rework all of her hopes and dreams of a track scholarship.

They meet one another on a different level through standup comedy— which I didn’t see coming AT ALL— and the way Agnes CONSTANTLY lies to herself about her feelings is delightful. I love the author’s writing style because she clearly captures the angst and confusion of finding who you are at that age.

Probably my favorite part was the obvious “he falls first” of it all. My second favorite was the way the author handled the class differences of all of the different characters, questioning everyone’s motives. It was a great read.