Bad Words: A Novel

by Rioghnach Robinson

A GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK!

“A book that could only ever have been written by Ríoghnach Robinson, whose clear, clever voice and incisive social commentary elevate the book’s irresistible will-they-won’t-they romance to a once-in-a-lifetime read about truth, art, vulnerability, and all the sticky places they intersect. BAD WORDS LEFT ME BUZZING.” - EMILY HENRY, #1 New York Times bestselling author

A sharp and deeply felt debut about the connections that both inspire and undo us.

Parker Navarro’s debut novel was meant to define his career - until critic Selina Chan’s blistering review made it the flop of the decade. Four years later, his new book is his shot at redemption; for Selina, reviewing him again is a professional risk she can’t refuse. When her second takedown ignites a viral feud, both their fortunes shift overnight. But as the literary world feeds on their public sparring, a quieter dialogue begins - one that challenges everything they thought they knew about success, sincerity, and each other.

Both incisive and tender, Bad Words lays bare the costs of creation - the pull between ambition and integrity, the vulnerability of being seen, and the unexpected closeness that can grow in the space between critique and care.

"A genre-redefining romance that sets a thrilling new standard… Easily one of my favourites of the year, if not the decade." - Carley Fortune, #1 New York Times bestselling author

"Full of blistering barbs, incisive takedowns and searing gazes, Bad Words is smart and propulsive." - Mary H.K. Choi, New York Times bestselling author

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Contemporary, Audiobook, Contemporary Romance, Enemies To Lovers, Adult

389 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 6, 2026

Reviews

[Haley pham · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t know how to review this other than to say I wanted to bite the nearest pillow after reading multiple beautiful sentences.

[Emily May · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love hearing people's different interpretations.
I scoffed. He loved getting fellated, was what he loved.

Many of my GR friends know romance is not my genre of choice (you always know what’s going to happen!), but I had a good feeling about this one. I suspected it was not a typical romance, and I was right, which is probably why I enjoyed it so much.

It is pitched as a love/hate romance between an upcoming author and a brutal critic, known for her hot takes and vicious pans, but, reading between the lines of the blurb, I sensed this was about a deeper conflict in the book world at large— about criticism and its ethics, fairness, about the increasing pressure on the publishing world both in terms of novels and longform articles, and about art in a world where the need to generate income cannot simply be shrugged off.

Many love/hate pairings seem to pointlessly rail at each other until they decide oh god, you’re actually hot, and fall into each other’s arms. Thankfully this one doesn't do that. Instead, Robinson really engages with their reasons for disliking each other, makes them look it in the eye and interrogate it.

Parker is a charming people pleaser who feels deeply mistreated by Selina's reviews of his book. He also, despite how it may look on the outside, really needs the funds. Selina is a true book nerd whose lifelong experiences of rejection have toughened her; more than kindness, she craves authenticity, and she always delivers it. Both of them felt very fleshed-out and real, and it was easy to understand and sympathise with both of their perspectives.

There is a lot of really interesting and truthful commentary on social media and publishing. In the end, I felt like the author showcased a lot of empathy for both authors and critics, whilst saving her disdain for the social media masses who take it upon themselves to rally around or condemn total strangers. Also, while not the main point, it highlights how people can’t have a bad day, make a misjudgment and have a private regrettable moment without it going viral and everyone weighing in. Ultimately, both authors and critics are subject to the passions and whims of social media fervour.

It has all the tension of a good love/hate, and equally has a lot to say. I think it was perhaps a little long and reiterated some points too much, but it's a minor criticism. I came away from it feeling both warmth at the romance, and genuinely quite sad about the state of publishing, criticism and the book industry.

CW: suicidal ideation

[MarilynW · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bad Words by Rioghnach Robinson
Narrated by Katharine Chin, Major Curda

Four years ago, Parker Navarro's first novel, a book that was destined to be a best seller, was tanked before release by the scorched earth words of critic Selina Chan. Being labeled the author of the flop of the decade was a huge cross for Parker to carry. But, he powered on and now his second book is ready for publication and Parker can only hope that Selina Chan will ignore his latest work. He does not need a repeat of what happened with his first book.

But, Selina Chan does review Parker's second book despite the fact that it seems like a conflict of interest to do so after the fiasco of her past review torpedoing Parker's first attempt. Once again, Selina's words are poison to Parker's hopes of having a successful book launch, of becoming a best seller. Everything Selina says is a knife in Parker's heart and pocketbook, again.

The story starts out slowly for me since I'm not sure that I'd enjoy reading Selina's reviews if she wasn't a fictional person. They seem too wordy and downright cruel. But then the excerpts I see of Parker's writing make me think his books wouldn't be for me, either. And it takes a long time for the two to come together in a way that interests me since their feelings toward each other are brutal once the two are filmed with Parker verbally tearing into Selina in a public area. Sides are drawn and there doesn't seem to be many people who are middling in their feelings about Selina or Parker. Still, as words are bandied about, Parker's book chances are revived. But this viral feud will be an up and down battle for the reputations of both Selina and for Parker.

Hang in there because the book does take time for us to get to know Selina. Parker is more of an open books (pun!) but Selina keeps everything under wraps. She is estranged from family and has two real friends. She basically hides from life and is dealing with her own past hurts and regrets, just different hurts and regrets than Parker's.

Once the two come together, with more than just shouting and jabs at each other, the book really takes off for me. It's worth the buildup because we get to know both of these very intense, dedicated people, who just might have more in common with each other than with those around them. The ups and downs in this story made me sad, that's how much I came to like both of these people. I have both the ebook, which is great for reading the messages, texts, and other written media, and I have the audiobook, so I could listen to the excellent narrations by Katherine Chin and Major Curda. Be patient, this book will grow on you and you won't want to put it down. Make sure to read Jayme and DeAnn's reviews, this is a fun book to buddy read, so that we could nosily discuss our opinions on these two characters, just like strangers discuss Selina and Parker via messages, emails, texts, and more.

Publication October 6, 2026

Thank you to Macmillan Audio, St. Martin's Press, SMP Early Readers, and NetGalley this ARC

[emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

it's probably no surprise that i think the mean critic in this did nothing wrong and the sensitive author should go to jail for 1,000 years.

instead they fell in love.

(review to come / thanks to the publisher for the alc)

[zahra · Rating 5 out of 5]

quite possibly one of the best modern romances to ever grace the bookish community is out now and it's bad words by rioghnach robinson.

read my full review: https://zahraxreads.wordpress.com/202...

i'm honestly at such a loss for words. it's truly one of the most beautiful books i've ever had the pleasure of reading in a while.

here's what i will say:

five words: enemies to lovers done RIGHT (if that doesn't convince you, it should)

it also offers such insightful social commentary that's very relevant to the current publishing climate and our main characters are so raw and realistic. it's about the art and importance that books possess, how it shapes us and our world, and the connections we make through them as a means of understanding each other. i felt every single word of this book deep in my bones, and am already thinking about rereading it, despite reading the last page a mere eight hours ago.

final thoughts - the rumors are true: it really is a one-of-a-kind read and trust me when i say you'll feel completely changed after finishing it.

[Whitney Erwin · Rating 2 out of 5]

The word I would use to describe this book is lackluster. The only thing, in my opinion, that this book has going for it is the Emily Henry endorsement which I feel like is the only reason it's getting attention. I really wanted to like this book but man, it was a BORE. It was repetitive, nothing exciting or entertaining happened, and it was way toooo long! There wasn't even much romance in this book labeled romance. The characters were whiny and desperate. I was going to DNF it in the beginning but told myself to push through based on the great reviews. I keep wondering if I was reading a different book than everyone else read. I don't understand the glowing reviews; I'm being generous and giving this one 2 stars.

Thank you, Net Galley, and St Martin's Press, for a copy in return for my honest review.

[Jayme C (Brunetteslikebookstoo) · Rating 4 out of 5]

BAD WORDS-
“Sometimes You Say Things That You Can’t Take Back”

Parker Navarro’s debut novel was on track to be a huge DEBUT-selling in a nine-Publisher auction for $1.2 million.

But CITY MAGAZINE’S book critic Selina Chan panned it in her review and changed all of that.

Four years later, his new book is probably his LAST shot at redemption. So he begs his Publisher to prevent her from receiving an advanced reader copy. But, she gets a hold of one anyway and she isn’t any more forgiving the second time around.

When he sees her at a party, he demands an explanation.

Their confrontation is caught on video and goes VIRAL.

As the literary world and (of course) SOCIAL MEDIA begin to weigh in on their “back and forth” comments, the two begin a private dialogue, and discover that they have more in common with each other than they could have ever imagined.

The first 40% was a bit slow to develop although I LOVED the questions it asked. Why should the OPINION of one person have the power to ruin a career? (It shouldn’t !) But, personally, on principle, I agree with fair but honest critiques so I COULD NOT dislike Selina, (even though Parker is the more sympathetic character) because writing honestly is something I strive to do myself, and credibility is important to me.

Selina truly believed that she is cutting through the chatter and helping people find the books that will illuminate their lives. She asks “ if we shrink back from our feelings, apologized and demurred, we are of no use to anybody. How many books can a person read in a lifetime? A thousand, five thousand, ten? A world without criticism looks like the 30 million title Amazon catalog.”

SO TRUE.
How else can one choose the BEST books for them?

In my humble opinion, it isn’t the critic who makes the book fail. It’s the readers who ALLOW one person to INFLUENCE them, instead of making up their OWN minds. No book is for every reader and no two readers will agree about EVERY book.

Do you know what makes me choose TO READ or to NOT READ a book?

Is it a celebrity choosing the book for their book club? Nope
Is it another author’s blurb on the book cover? Nope
Is it when a reviewer who gushes about every book gives it 5 stars? Nope.

It’s when the writer of a review says something that INTRIGUES me!!

It’s when I want to know how I WILL FEEL about something mentioned by one of you!

Last year I downloaded a book based off of a two star review that intrigued me and it was a 5 star favorite for me! I SEEK out lower reviews when I am unsure and sometimes I take them with a grain of salt-and sometimes they tell me something definitive which lets me know the book isn’t for me, which saves me from choosing it and having to give it ANOTHER LESS THAN ENTHUSIASTIC review on Goodreads that will bring its average rating down.

But, I digress.

CLEARLY the literary aspect of the book resonated, but what really made the book SHINE was that the “ENEMIES TO LOVERS” trope, which is usually a HARD SELL for me-actually WORKS here. It was authentic and believable as it unfolds initially through emails, then text messages, and finally through face to face conversations. The supporting cast of characters are wonderful additions to the book as well.

So, am I recommending this book? YES.

But, don’t take my word for it! DECIDE for yourself!

AVAILABLE NOW!!

A buddy read with Marilyn and DeAnn! It offered MUCH for discussion so, be sure to watch for their reviews!

Thank You to St. Martin’s Press for the gifted ARC provided through NetGalley. As always, these are my candid thoughts!

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a battle of words, who would win: an author or a critic? One thing this book drives home is this: words matter.

Parker Navarro is on the cusp of launching his highly buzzed debut novel These Extraordinary Times to the world when Selina Chan, a critic from City Magazine takes aim at it with a scathingly honest review that catches fire on social media and dooms the book before it can even find an audience.

Now, two years later, humbled Parker is ready to try again with his second novel High and Dry, hoping his luck is better this time around. Unfortunately, City Magazine’s editor, desperate for “clicks’ and smelling blood in the water, jumps at the chance to assign Selina to review it. Let’s just say it’s NOT good news for Parker.

When these two encounter each other in person at an event, all kinds of sparks fly, but not in the good way, and when footage of it is posted online, everyone seems to have an opinion.

So is Selina the villain of this story and Parker her innocent victim? If you ask patrons of the internet in this book, you’ll get a very divided answer! It begs all sorts of questions for both authors, critics and their audience:

Is unflinching honesty always the best policy or can it go too far?

Does the impact on someone’s career matter?

Does thoughtful criticism have a healthy role in publishing?

Are we entitled to judge people we don't know based on their words alone?

Does being a BIPOC author require you to represent that group in only a positive light?

These were just some of the questions this book raised for me, and it certainly made me more aware of the impact my own words can have if not exercised thoughtfully.

To be clear, though, this book isn’t some heady thinkpiece about authors and critics. At the end, it’s still a romance - just one with a little more meat on its bones, so to speak. Thankfully, it doesn't rush to get to the romance and gives the relationship time to evolve naturally and realistically.

Parker and Selina have to find their way through their differences, but in doing so they also discover how much they have in common, like their mutually dysfunctional families and the unique pressures of their Asian heritage. The journey is messy, emotional, and sometimes hurtful, but isn’t that a human relationship in a nutshell?

This was an immersion read with my Kindle copy and the ALC narrated by Katharine Chin and Major Curda, who brought Selina and Parker to life beautifully. Side characters like Parker’s roommate Arthur, and Selina’s friends Jacob and Cassie were wonderful additions as well!

If you want a contemporary romance with literary fiction leanings, this is an excellent adult fiction debut from Rioghnach Robinson. It does have one spicy scene, but nothing you can’t skip past if you don’t prefer those. My one nitpick on the audio is that there are a lot of email exchanges in some chapters and the narrator had to read off the three-line headers for EVERY exchange which got tedious. I switched to my Kindle only for those chapters.

Overall, I highly recommend either format - or both, and Rioghnach Robinson is definitely an author whose future work I’ll be watching for!

★★★★ ½

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley and author Rioghnach Robinson for the digital ARC and Macmillan Audio for the ALC to honestly review. The book is out on October 6, 2026.

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

WHEW WEEEE I AM HOLLERING

Selina Chan I would wage battles on your behalf (and win)

Bad Words is the romance novel of all time. A startling look at why we create, critique, and the tenuous publishing landscape, all through the perspectives of a feuding author and book critic. It’s a book that knows the power on the page, the page itself a series of deliberate choices and writing a tremendously public act. All of that is a testament to author Ríoghnach Robinson who unfolds her public feud between novelist Parker and critic Selina, one that prompts a path towards change and unforeseen connection. With their impassioned back and forth—each convinced they are right—a romance first appears out of the question, if not for a kernel of familiarity uncovered after every heated argument. Like the love they share for an obscure novel from their teen years or a favorite, slightly pretentious drink they both order. Bad Words had me waiting on bated breath for Selina and Parker’s next exchange, to fight or to give in to the intense connection at the heart of all of their interactions. But like any true enemies to lovers, these two have to wade through the issues that led up to their quarrel. Bad Words finds its place in the literary landscape, challenging our views on criticism in the book space and interrogating the essential question: why do we create and how do we connect? Bad Words is as bracing as opening ourselves up to criticism can be, where to be known is to be seen for the totality of who we are.

This is the only true enemies to lovers I’ve ever read in a contemporary setting and I lost myself in every single line.

Read my review

thank you to edelweiss and the publisher for providing the advance review copy.

Bookstagram | Blog

[bookluvr (s-ia) · Rating 4 out of 5]

well, this was positively delightful! i had such a wonderful time reading this. i’ll admit…i was skeptical at first. another contemporary book about books, another romance featuring an author as one of its main characters. the contemporary romance genre is saturated with books that incorporate books as their main sell in some way and i’ve said it a few times in a couple other reviews. this book even makes a dig at this, which is when it settled in for me that we were getting off on the right foot 😂.

“it’s also important to me that when the average person walks into a bookstore, they are not confronted with endless shelves of books about novelists.”

somehow, this book did the unthinkable. even with this subject matter, this turned out to be such a refreshing read.

first off, it’s definitely more literary romance than a traditional one where the romance is the sole focus. it balances the relationship arc between the two main characters with a thought-provoking exposé on the ups and downs of publishing from various angles, reviewing culture, the way people just…read nowadays, how social media and the court of public opinion play a significant role in the way people consume books, and how people are quick to pass judgement on authors, reviewers and other readers in the current climate. dog-piling, cancel culture, the inability to separate the person from the words — it’s all covered. this book is astute in its observations, probing and stimulating with its commentary.

“ ‘you think the general readership has changed in the past few decades?’ ‘of course it has.’ … ‘different appetites. and different levels of comprehension, obviously. a good writer wants to write for the good readers. the smart ones. but sometime in the past twenty years, the smart readers got clever, and that’s a different beast. you can’t write for a clever reader. they’re always above what they’re reading.’ ”

secondly, the romance was executed so well. it’s more of a subplot, it’s not one that leads with heavy lust, the disdain in this “enemies-to-lovers” dynamic feels properly motivated and shown, and the slow-burn pace is incredibly satisfying. the romance centers around popular book reviewer selina chan, and author parker navarro. selina writes as a critic for a reliable publication that’s been around for years. she has a reputation for her sometimes scathing (but always honest) reviews and she panned parker’s debut novel back when it came out, which had a major impact on parker’s sales and the success of that book. now that parker is about to release his sophomore effort, selina gets assigned to review this second book of his. even though she doesn’t want to do it, she has to (corporate overlords and all that). to no one’s surprise, she doesn’t like it and writes a caustic and critical review to reflect this. it all leads to a private confrontation between reviewer and author at an industry event, which gets secretly recorded by someone and put online for the masses — and this all escalates into a public feud of sorts.

this romance felt like a realistic portrayal of how misunderstandings and volatile first impressions can lead to very human misjudgment of someone. the characters are both imperfect but this made them feel like more than just cardboard cut-outs. they make mistakes. they say and think some pretty cutting things to / about one another 😅. sometimes you’ll be on one of their sides, sometimes neither, sometimes both. i liked that. a lot. the banter is witty and biting, the humour in this book genuinely funny. watching their relationship change in subtle beats over the course of the story as they get to know one another and discover common ground felt organic. actual development. the chemistry between them is not heavy-handed but no less palpable, and the writing doesn’t bang you over the head with trope-y theatrics, overly explicit lusty overtures in inner monologues or anything cringey. i really loved how their mutual vulnerability was written as well. when the feelings™ start coming over them both, the pining and that feeling of wanting to be known and accepted (but also scared to be perceived by someone you’ve come to respect in fear that you’ll be found lacking in some way) felt raw and real. the book is quiet when it needs to be, and those soft and introspective moments made me feel a tiny bit achy about these two. the deeper topics in their individual character arcs were handled with nuance and weren’t too over the top either (do check triggers though). even the third act, while a touch formulaic, was necessary because it allowed them to confront any lingering (and subconscious) insecurity and resentment between them from their initial grounds for disagreement. the only thing i would have wanted more of was for the romance in the last stretch of the book to have been more fleshed out once the tension broke. it got a bit too summary-style in the writing and we didn’t get enough moments of them being a couple written out as scenes in the book. this didn’t hurt the experience too much though, since the tension breaks very deep into things (given that slow-burn pace i mentioned). just a small critique. i enjoyed the build-up enough to compensate for this.

i really liked the representation of BIPOC characters in the diaspora too. it’s always a theme i connect with (being an expat and person of colour myself), and sometimes feeling not quite belonging to any one place and belonging to all places at once. there were also small cultural touches that added to our mcs’ characterizations nicely (selina and parker are chinese- and filipino- x americans, respectively).

the thing that lingers for me most is the discussion around honest criticism and what one person’s different opinion on something you loved or hated says about that other person or your own character. i have that note in my own bio about how my reviews are never a commentary on other people’s tastes, intelligence or ethics. if one liked or disliked something but someone else has a different view, why should that be grounds for resentment if it’s truly about the book and how someone experienced it (acting in good faith), rather than an attack on someone’s taste?

”every corner of publishing has become obsessed with hype, buzz, and relentless bite-sized positivity to the point that criticism is existentially endangered.”

“ ‘they don’t care. if you say the book is idiotic, then i’m an idiot. if you say the book is a failure, i’m a failure.’ ‘it’s not my fault that people will take criticism and expand it past its actual boundaries.’ “

“criticism could be beautiful, not just a collection of reactions but a way to organize and illuminate the world.”

reviews are inherently biased. people have different tastes, different preferences, different expectations from something. one review does not make a person, nor does it make an author. sometimes our views change over time, with new perspective or some different experiences under our belts to compare to. and sometimes they don’t. maybe you liked this one book / series then but you don’t like it now. that’s all ok too. everything is subjective when it comes to opinions on some form of art. no one is an authority on anything BUT their own opinion. this read felt like a gentle but needed reminder of that.

i appreciated that selina’s opinions don’t miraculously do a complete 180. she can acknowledge subjectivity, look at things with a different eye and accept that now is no less valid than then. maybe take away some new things though. parker, too, can learn that not everything is black and white and that opinions are just that…opinions. that he can also grow in his work with a fresh perspective BECAUSE of honest criticism, no matter how difficult it may be to hear in the first place. so yeah…this was a goodie and felt very topical right now. really enjoyed this one.

”my imagination was so full of her it felt halfway to inspiration.”

“this was how it felt, then, to love someone: to sacrifice clarity. to let go the illusion of objectivity. to give every word the benefit of the doubt. and with parker, if i had to choose between a clean and confident judgment and this—this mess of contradictory feeling, this stew of complication; if i had to choose between the neat and comprehensible outside and the inexplicable inside, then, for the first time in my life, i chose the inside. i would love him right into my own uncertainty.”

[Ricarda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes I finish a book and wonder if I know my own reading taste at all. I usually ignore the whole romance side of publishing because I'm just not interested in it, but this book caught my eye anyway and then turned out to be quite fantastic. I was intrigued by the whole literary backdrop of the story and also by the cover which isn't two cartoon people sniffing at each other or a chaotic swirl of dark flowers, knives and serpents. It felt original to me and so did the story. It's about author Parker Navarro who got a huge book deal for his debut novel and was ready to be a bestselling writer until one bad review from critic Selina Chan turned his work into the literary flop of the century. A few years later Parker managed to get another, not-so-huge book deal for his second novel, only for it to be again reviewed and publicly criticized by Selina. After a video of them intensely arguing hits social media, things turn into a full-blown feud with many people sharing their opinion about the situation or trying to make some money out of it. I usually think that author vs. reviewer encounters are fights with no winners, but here both perspectives were so valid. The dual POV had me caring deeply for both Parker and Selina. They were such well-developed characters and their emotions were transported perfectly at all times. Regarding their conflict I was of course team Selina – she was just competently doing her job reviewing books -, but I also perfectly understood that Parker was hurt and lashed out because of it. He really does some hurtful things in this book, but I love it when characters are flawed in such a way. It just shows how much they can grow within the pages of one medium-length book. It was such a pleasure to see how a relationship can drastically change if two people are willing to do something for it. They went from fiercely arguing to seeing and understanding the others' point to feeling the need to defend each other. I was kicking my little feet when they learned that they have yet another thing in common or that their assumptions weren't true at all. But it took a long while to get there. The romance is a real slow-burn and while that made things more realistic to me, the pacing also suffered a little from it. The third-act conflict came very late in the book and then it was resolved rather quickly, because the book was already about to end. But enough of the romance. The true star was all the commentary on the publishing industry to me. The book handles both very current and all-time relevant issues in publishing and it presents them very sharply. There's commentary on hyped books, on author drama, on bestsellers being fabricated, on the use of AI, on the importance of criticism, on cancel culture, on social media backlash and much more. It all captured perfectly how grim the publishing industry can feel nowadays while also never losing the clear love for books behind it all. Combined with the themes that were explored through the characters themselves, like anxiety, parental pressure or loneliness, it was a very realistic and meaningful read to me. Would recommend broadly, even to non-romance readers like myself.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's press for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Kristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

An actual, true and realistic enemies to lovers romance. 😳


This was so original, I loved the concept and the writing. Both characters were quite unlikeable, but as I can relate to a reviewer being attacked by an author (happened to me a few times) I really sided with Selina in this one.

Some of the premise of this book was a little far fetched for me. The idea that a single review can tank the sales of a book backed by a major publisher is highly unlikely, even from an acclaimed reviewer in a literary magazine. Most book buyers aren’t reading high brow magazine reviews for popular fiction; product placement and advertising campaigns and even a pretty cover will boost book sales over a review all day long. So the premise that Selina's one negative review of his first novel tanked his sales is kind of preposterous.

But if you can get over that and just pretend it highly annoyed him instead, the rest of the book was interesting. I wouldn’t call the MMC a book boyfriend though, he’s kind of an insecure, neurotic self absorbed type but we do eventually get to see who he is and understand his issues.
But often I felt really bad for Selina in how he treated her and what he felt entitled to from her as a reviewer. However the development of the characters, their relationship and the story was well done and all the conflict really did set this up as an enemies to lovers. They really disliked each other and that dislike was well explained.

Even the third act break up, though brutal, was satisfying and fit well into the story. But this isn’t a light romance, it’s complex and more women’s fiction-like than contemporary romance. It’s very character driven and evenly paced and overall a different type of romance than I’m used to.

I also liked the cultural elements of his Filipino family and her Chinese American family and the conflicts that arose from both of them as children of immigrants living in the USA.


Notes on the narration: this was dual narration until the last bonus chapter, which was duet. Not sure why they could not do the whole book as duet, would have been much more immersive that way and I will never understand why major publishers don’t do all romance audiobooks this way. But the narrators were good and authentic.

Thanks for the audio arc, McMillan Audio.
*****************
A book about a mean critic ..I can get behind this.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The irony of reviewing a book about a book reviewer is not lost on me! Although I don’t flatter myself to put myself even remotely in the same stratosphere as Selina Chan.

This book is marketed as a romance, and while there’s a romance that packs an excellent punch, I think it’s more beneficial (for me, at least!) to enter this book as if it’s general fiction! Once I shed the expectation of a traditional romance, I really loved the story.

This book is about Parker Navarro and Selina Chan. Parker is a very impressive literary fiction author who received a hefty $1.2M advance on his debut novel, only for it to be ripped to shreds by critic Selina Chan. Years later, he’s recovered from becoming a bit of a laughingstock in the publishing world and has written his second book, which, before being released, is once again reviewed and LOATHED by Selina Chan. Incensed, he confronts her at a party they both happen to be at, their fight goes viral, and the rest is (very well-written) history.

This book explores the tension between the artist and their critics. Intense, vulnerable, at times a bit slow, and at other times a bit hot. I had a great time reading this. I can’t wait to hear what you guys thought!

Best paired with a Jack Rose cocktail, a favorite of Ernest Hemingway, Parker Navarro, and Selina Chan! Swipe for the recipe!

[Krystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

In my experience it is rare to place a novel in both the romance and literary fiction genres but that is where this one sits for me. It's about so much more than an enemies to lovers storyline or a book about books. There is zero fluff here. It's a story with teeth and heart feeling rare in what it conveys. There were so many emotions that cropped while listening to the audio and the dual narrators excelled at breathing life into these flawed characters.

Parker Navarro's debut novel had all the great buzz and was set to push him onto the literary scene as a success. Until Selina Chan's critical review shredded it causing the novel to flop. Four years later Parker has written his sophomore effort and is awaiting its publication hoping for another chance to prove himself to readers. His follow up ends up on Chan's desk even though she doesn't feel right about it being assigned to her after she already panned his work once. Her boss insists and once again she is writing a negative review sure to impact his work before it even hits shelves. The two end up at each other's throats with online sparring and a videoed confrontation thrusting them both into the spotlight.

Is any publicity good publicity?

Is there any room for care when critiquing?

The novel dares to go deeper. It looks at ambition and the vulnerability of being known by someone on an intrinsic level. The look at books in general and specific was witty. There are plenty of scenes that stuck with me. I liked how the author played with the idea of what we perceive from the outside looking in and what reality holds. These characters are intelligent, sharp, yet they nurse pains and struggle. The development and growth charted a course that served as a reminder of why reading is important on a personal level.

This was my first time reading the author, but I will be keeping an eye out for what comes next!

All the stars! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for providing an ALC via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Gabby · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was such a lovely surprise and so refreshing. It's so well written and thought provoking and it has so much commentary about the publishing industry, and commentary about art and ambition too. I love following books about writers in general, so I loved reading about Parker publishing his books, but I especially loved Selina's character (she's a bad bitch!!!) Both of these characters felt so real to me, and their hatred for each other at the start of it also felt very realistic and genuine which made this the ultimate hate to love slow burn romance, which I love. And this was a proper slow burn too, I'm talking 200 pages deep and they still barely tolerate each other (which is how I like it). This also had some really great atmosphere, with some scenes taking place in NYC around the holidays, it was quite magical.

I recently read this book and a few others in a reading vlog if you want to hear all my thoughts: https://youtu.be/niflN4RCPDw

[destiny ✿ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately this was a hard miss for me. As someone who almost NEVER DNFs books, I had to call this one at the 45% mark. Now listen I tried, I really did. High praise from Emily Henry and almost every review I’ve seen left me excited and rushing into this story. However now I am pretty sure I’m living in some alternate universe where I’m reading a completely different book than everyone else because gosh this book was a struggle. These seemingly beloved characters were nothing but egotistical, arrogant and hypercritical. The so called “banter” I was promised was simply 100 pages of unnecessary attacks on each other and the main male character being an absolute crybaby over one (1) bad review. It was too repetitive, too harsh, and too boring. Obviously this is rated so highly so this may just be a me problem and this might even be a story I return to in the future but in this moment I want nothing more than to read literally anything else.

I also still will be logging this as “read” simply because I think I deserve some sort of compensation for this.

[mj · Rating 5 out of 5]

if i loved it less, i might be able to talk about it more.

[Stephanie · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

Might upgrade this to a 5⭐️ read, still need to absorb the complexity of it. I was not expecting to enjoy Bad Words as much as everyone else. Surely to be one of the best romance books of the year.

As someone who is super particular about romances, Rioghnach Robinson knows how to write a book that isn't just a an "enemies to lover" romance, but about the publishing industry as a whole, and the critics who can make or break a book. It's also about growing up in an Asian household, and the pressure of being someone else's success story.

After Selina Chan’s brutal review tanked Parker Navarro’s debut and nearly derailed his career, a high-stakes rematch four years later ignites a viral literary feud. As the public revels in their professional warfare, the two are forced into a private dialogue that shifts from performative hate to a complicated, sincere connection, challenging their views on success and each other.

"And I saw her there, at a desk that I imagined was spotless smoked glass, and I imagined her hair bound in a knot at the base of her skull, and I saw her in that silken navy dress she’d worn when she’d come to my apartment last weekend, and its neck was open, and there was a seed pearl necklace sinking into the dip between her collarbones, and she had that secretive half smile on her lips as she looked down at her phone. My imagination was so full of her it felt halfway to inspiration." I swoon.

Bad Words is a rare find: a novel that executes every single thing it promises. It begins with a fierce, atmospheric "enemies" dynamic that feels lived-in and urgent. Whether they are trading barbs in person or over email, Parker and Selina’s chemistry is undeniable. Robinson doesn't shy away from the messy parts of life, tackling suicidal ideation and the complexities of immigrant families with a grace that feels deeply authentic. Robinson also makes Selina's estranged relationship with her parents an integral part of the story. If you know anything about never being good enough for your Asian parents, you will relate to this. Love the AAPI characters, we need more of this!!!

"Apparently I didn’t just enjoy his company. Apparently, I wanted the version of my life that had him woven into it."

Everything that everyone is saying about this book is true. Don't miss it when it's released on 10.6.26!

[maddi ⋆˚ᨳଓ.⋆ (semi-ia) · Rating 4.75 out of 5]

❛ 𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑙𝑦 𝑖 𝑑𝑖𝑑𝑛'𝑡 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑒𝑛𝑗𝑜𝑦 ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑎𝑛𝑦. 𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑙𝑦, 𝑖 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝑚𝑦 𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 ℎ𝑎𝑑 ℎ𝑖𝑚 𝑤𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑛 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑜 𝑖𝑡. ❜

✧˖°. ┆★★★★ ¾ — 𝟰.𝟳𝟱 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀

₊ 📑 ⊹ 𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ𝑡𝑠 ⋆˚࿔
WOOOOOOW. this is the most interestingly written book i've read in a whiiiiile. this book is actually a lot more complex and metaphorical than i thought it would be, and i think that's part of why it was so interesting to read. it made me cry so bad and cackle and smile and at some points i even had literal chills. i was actually fighting to put this book down - the first night i read more chapters than i said i would, and the second i stayed up 3 hours later to finish it 🙊

i think i have a thing for books following characters in the literary world?? listen, i haven't actually read the hating game (i watched it ikk what a crime but in my defense the movie sucked and i can't read books after watching the film) but i feel like i was spot on when i said this would be kinda like if the hating game and like book lovers had a baby AND IT WAS INCREDIBLEEE!!

something i really liked abt the feud and enemies to lovers arc was that it wasn't just over some stupid disagreement, its was a v valid and actually important argument abt the impacts of criticism, and i loved that i agreed w both sides and points, bcuz they were both logical and right in their own ways.

i also loved all the different forms of media used in here!? there were reviews, articles, short stories, interviews, emails, posts, venmos (!!), AND texts that we got to see between selina and parker, and i think it definitely made the book super engaging, and also shows a lot of their personalities in the way they said things differently.

the ONLY reason this wasn't a full 5 stars for me was bcuz the ending (the last 5%) felt a bit rushed and dissatisfactory to me, but i'm always v picky w endings and resolutions so i can totally understand how this is a 5 stars for so many ppl.

❤️ 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑠 ⋆ ᣟ𐚁˳˚⋆
i relate to both characters soso much it actually pains me

📚 𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑎 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑛 ⋆·˚ ༘ *
I LOVE HERRRR 🙇‍♀😭 i love unlikable, opinionated fmcs w all my hearttt 🫶 and myyy the mouth on this girll 🤭 i totally related to her stubbornness - her refusal to back down from a challenge and take back what she's said, and her battles w her need to defend herself and her actions against her parents. another thing that actually really resonated w me was her thoughts on life and death. as someone who thinks about death and the meaning of life a LOT, watching selina find beauty and love in life, and figure out that she didn't need to spend every moment doing something productive or worrying about the mark she would leave on the world when she wasn't in it anymore, was a really nice and v needed reminder that i don't always need to think about what happens after, and that sometimes it's okay to just be. <3 her inner desire to be wanted and understood KILLED MEEEE i felt so bad for this girl for the entire book 😭 selina is my babyyy i'll protect her at all costs 🫡

📝 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑘𝑒𝑟 𝑛𝑎𝑣𝑎𝑟𝑟𝑜 ⋆✴︎˚｡⋆
i have to admit at first i didn't rlly like parker bcuz i was (and always will be) strongly team selina on the feud, buttt i v quickly understood and related to his people-pleasing and peace-making struggles. his need to diffuse every fight and take care of everyone else's issues was so sweet and also pretty sad 😢 by the end of it all i actually really loved parker <3

❤️‍🩹 𝑟𝑜𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 𐙚⋆°｡⋆♡
now THIS was enemies to lovers!! the witty banter?? 👏👏 yes please i was CACKLINGGG 🤭 selina's insults specifically made me feel slightly stupid and i love that bcuz we stan an educated girlie in literature 🙂‍↕️ the level of intellect in their arguments was giving what you'd read in a rlly good academic rivals to lovers and i was LIVING for it ✋ i loooooooove love loooved the slow-burn that this book was!! it was sooo fun (and painful 😩) watching them realise that they weren't all that different, that they understood each other like no one else, that they didn't have to pretend w each other, and that they actually kind of liked each other 😁!! had me so giddy the entire time. i loved it when they argued (🤭) but i loved it even MORE when they defended each other!! the respect and understanding and admiration they built for each other over time was the sweetestt!! <3 i loved seeing them both get super passionate over their fav books and authors, and sharing quotes and opinions; two book lovers in love is an elite pairing 🙂‍↕️

🎧 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑦𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑡 ‧₊ ♪˚⊹
⤿ bad idea! - girl in red
⤿ get him back! - olivia rodrigo
⤿ the grudge - olivia rodrigo
⤿ red bottoms - adela
⤿ my way - olivia rodrigo
⤿ petal - ariana grande
⤿ where do we go now? - gracie abrams
⤿ look at my life - gracie abrams
⤿ sue me - audrey hobert
⤿ tit for tat - tate mcrae
⤿ anything but love - tate mcrae
⤿ bitter - fletcher
⤿ doing better - fletcher
⤿ von dutch a.g. cook remix - charli xcx, addison rae

ılı.lıllılıı.ıllı..
𝑐𝑢𝑟𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑙𝑦 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑦𝑖𝑛𝑔 ‧₊ ♪˚⊹
get him back! ❘ olivia rodrigo
0:41 ─•────── -2:49
⇆ㅤ ◁◁ ❚❚ ▷▷ㅤ ↻

⁀➴
⋆˚꩜｡ ❛ 𝑖 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑛𝑎 𝑔𝑒𝑡 ℎ𝑖𝑚 𝑏𝑎𝑐𝑘
𝑖 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑛𝑎 𝑚𝑎𝑘𝑒 ℎ𝑖𝑚 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑗𝑒𝑎𝑙𝑜𝑢𝑠, 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑛𝑎 𝑚𝑎𝑘𝑒 ℎ𝑖𝑚 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑙 𝑏𝑎𝑑
𝑜ℎ, 𝑖 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑛𝑎 𝑔𝑒𝑡 ℎ𝑖𝑚 𝑏𝑎𝑐𝑘, '𝑐𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑎𝑔𝑎𝑖𝑛, 𝑖 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑚𝑖𝑠𝑠 ℎ𝑖𝑚, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑖𝑡 𝑚𝑎𝑘𝑒𝑠 𝑚𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑙 𝑠𝑎𝑑
𝑜ℎ, 𝑖 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑠𝑤𝑒𝑒𝑡 𝑟𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑖 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡 ℎ𝑖𝑚 𝑎𝑔𝑎𝑖𝑛
𝑖 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑔𝑒𝑡 ℎ𝑖𝑚 𝑏𝑎𝑐𝑘, 𝑏𝑎𝑐𝑘, 𝑏𝑎𝑐𝑘 ❜ ˖ ݁♬⋆.˚𝄞

💌 𝑞𝑢𝑜𝑡𝑒𝑠 ⛧⋆˚࿔⋆
✧ ❛ 𝑖'𝑑 𝑤𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑖𝑓 𝑖 𝑏𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑦 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑙 𝑤𝑎𝑦 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑙𝑑, 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑝𝑒𝑜𝑝𝑙𝑒 𝑡𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑙𝑒𝑑 𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑙𝑦 𝑎𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑛 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒, 𝑜𝑟 𝑖𝑓 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑚𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑎𝑠𝑘𝑒𝑤 𝑒𝑛𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ 𝑡𝑜 𝑝𝑢𝑡 𝑚𝑒 𝑜𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑜𝑢𝑡𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒. ❜

✧ ❛ 𝑖'𝑑 𝑠𝑎𝑖𝑑 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑛𝑖𝑐𝑒. 𝑠ℎ𝑒'𝑑 𝑠𝑎𝑖𝑑 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 ℎ𝑜𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑡. ❜

✧ ❛ 𝑎𝑔𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑠𝑡 𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠, 𝑏𝑜𝑜𝑘𝑠 𝑤𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑎 𝑟𝑒𝑓𝑢𝑔𝑒. 𝑖 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑡 𝑤𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑔𝑙𝑦 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑎 𝑏𝑜𝑜𝑘 𝑒𝑥𝑐𝑒𝑝𝑡 𝑏𝑦 𝑓𝑎𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜 𝑔𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑖𝑡 𝑚𝑦 𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛. ❜

✧ ❛ 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑡𝑟𝑦𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜 𝑑𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑑𝑒 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑡𝑜 𝑙𝑒𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠 𝑔𝑜? ❜ ❛ 𝑖 𝑑𝑜𝑛'𝑡 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤, ❜ 𝑖 ℎ𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑. ❛ 𝑚𝑎𝑦𝑏𝑒 𝑖𝑡'𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑜𝑝𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑒. 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒 𝑖'𝑚 𝑡𝑟𝑦𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜 𝑓𝑖𝑔𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑡𝑜 ℎ𝑜𝑙𝑑 𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑜. ❜

✧ ❛ 𝑚𝑦 𝑖𝑚𝑎𝑔𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑠𝑜 𝑓𝑢𝑙𝑙 𝑜𝑓 ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑖𝑡 𝑓𝑒𝑙𝑡 ℎ𝑎𝑙𝑓𝑤𝑎𝑦 𝑡𝑜 𝑖𝑛𝑠𝑝𝑖𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛. ❜

✧ ❛ 𝑖 𝑔𝑢𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒𝑠 𝑖 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑠𝑒 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑛𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠. 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒 𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑝𝑒𝑜𝑝𝑙𝑒 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑖𝑛𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑡𝑖𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑙𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑖 𝑑𝑜𝑛'𝑡. 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡'𝑠 𝑎 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑏𝑖𝑑 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔, 𝑖 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑘. ❜ 𝑖 ℎ𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑. ❛ 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑖 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑏𝑒𝑎𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑓𝑢𝑙, 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑑𝑜𝑒𝑠 𝑚𝑎𝑘𝑒 𝑚𝑒 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑙 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑛𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑑. 𝑖 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑 𝑠𝑙𝑒𝑒𝑝 ℎ𝑎𝑠 ℎ𝑖𝑠 ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑘, 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤, 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑏𝑜𝑑𝑦 𝑓𝑒𝑙𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠, 𝑜𝑟...𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑏𝑜𝑑𝑦 𝑘𝑛𝑒𝑤 𝑚𝑒, 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ 𝑠ℎ𝑒 𝑑𝑖𝑒𝑑 𝑠𝑖𝑥𝑡𝑦 𝑦𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑠 𝑎𝑔𝑜, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑤𝑎𝑦 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑠𝑢𝑓𝑓𝑢𝑠𝑒𝑠 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔. 𝑖 𝑑𝑜𝑛'𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑘 𝑚𝑦 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑜𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑠 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑜𝑛𝑙𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑚𝑎𝑘𝑒𝑠 𝑚𝑒 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑙 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑤𝑎𝑦. ❜

✧ ❛ 𝑚𝑎𝑦𝑏𝑒 𝑤𝑒 𝑤𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑢𝑛𝑟𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑠𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑐𝑒𝑠 𝑛𝑜𝑤; 𝑚𝑎𝑦𝑏𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑖𝑡 𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒. 𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑖 𝑘𝑛𝑒𝑤 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑖'𝑑 𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑓𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑑𝑠. 𝑖 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑚𝑦 𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑒 𝑠𝑎𝑦𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑚. ❜

✧ ❛ 𝑖 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑠𝑒 𝑝𝑎𝑔𝑒𝑠 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑏𝑒𝑐𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦 ℎ𝑎𝑑 ℎ𝑖𝑚 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑚. ❜

as for my stand on the feud...i was team selina from the start ✋

⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹

𓏵‧₊˚ ┊𝑝𝑟𝑒-𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑 .ᐟ ₊ 📑 ⊹ 📚
OH MY GOSHHH i'm literally so excited i got approved for the arcccc!! this kinda looks like if the hating game and like beach read/book lovers had a baby?? and i'm SO here for it. smth abt the cover and title is calling to me and the synopsis sounds so freaking good!?

𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒐𝒔𝒐 𝒎𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒕𝒐 𝑵𝒆𝒕𝑮𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒚, 𝑯𝒂𝒓𝒑𝒆𝒓 𝑪𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒔 𝑨𝒖𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒂, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑹𝒊𝒐𝒈𝒉𝒏𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝑹𝒐𝒃𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒆-𝒂𝒓𝒄!! xx

[Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Almost 400 pages in this romance novel, yet you’d be surprised by how little romance there actually was.

This book seemingly tried to mix genres, and it didn’t really work imo. It wanted to be a slow-burn romance starring enemies to lovers but with a very substantial plot besides the romance that felt almost lit fic like, which I found quite boring because it’s a book about books again and they go on about this forever. So yeah, I’m not sure the author managed to pull it off.

I generally enjoy a more plot-heavy romance. It makes it more interesting. But you have to find the right balance. Because if you focus too much on what’s going on besides the romance and make your characters be horrible to each other for more than half the book, then the romance gets lost among all these other things and it gets increasingly hard to make up for said horrible behaviour. And that’s what it felt like here. The romance almost became an afterthought because of the drama surrounding Parker and Selina.

I do think the author did a good job creating these two main characters. Both Parker and Selina were realistic, complex and flawed. I did dislike Parker from start to finish, but at least both of them went through some character development which was nice to see. I also enjoyed how their attraction grew slowly when they started to learn more about the other and realised that maybe not all is as it seems at first glance. That didn’t last long, though, unfortunately. Like why did the third act breakup need to happen this close to the end when they were at each other’s throats for most of the story anyway? It for sure did not contribute to the romance (or Parkers redemption..).

But yeah, because of the heavy focus on everything except the romance and characters who truly disliked each other for a big part of the book, there simply wasn’t enough time left by the end to create a believable romance between them. I bought their interest in each other, I understood their growing attraction, but the rest (had to) happened way too quickly.
When they confessed their love to each other at the end, I was honestly surprised. It didn’t really fit their characters nor the story thus far to have them throw ‘I love you’ around this fast. It felt rushed, unearned and forced and it really didn’t fit the tone of the 360 pages or so before that.

Nail in the coffin for me was Parker, who never managed to shed the patheticpretentious lit bro vibe he gave off in the beginning.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

___
🤭✨

[abby :) · Rating 4.25 out of 5]

oh selina chan, you are now one of my elite employees!!!

this book couldn't have had a tougher battle to face, an unimaginably high hill to climb, after all its been heralded as the romance of the year by a one miss emily henry. i'm always a big skeptic of books that have so much praise surrounding them, i just get so afraid i'll dislike them and not be part of a fun club. i should have known from the synopsis alone that any book containing selina as a charcter would be a massive win for me, instead i got to come to that conclusion on my own, sobbing on my couch...

the basis of this book, a critic falling for the author of books she hates, is like that trend of saying your friends favorite words to get them excited. i love an enemies to lovers, i love a strong women who has such a rich interiority i want to scream, and i can usually get behind writers as main characters. this author was being praised for her writing skills and i do agree with that. i didn't even realize how sucked into her pages i was until i had like fifty left and i was yelling at the people around me to not ask me questions (they weren't talking to me anyway). even though there are oh so many good things to say about this book and my experience reading it, IM CONFLICTED.

like i said i would die for selina, i cannot even begin to describe how important her perspective was to me, how much i connected to her, and how much i wept for her. this girl is my new best friend, i want to sit and have long discussions with her for ever and ever, i want to pick her brain about every book she's ever read, i want to be her best friend... maybe i wanna be her... moving on. my strong feelings for her unfortunately do not stretch to parker. while he did one hundred percent grow on mw while reading, and i felt moved by him in the end, i could just never get on board with him in the beginning. i feel like if it takes almost 300 pages for me to like you, something isn't right. maybe i'm just so far removed from being an author and that makes it hard for me to understand parker being in most cursed group chat ever... (i would NOT be able to get over that, maybe i'm bitter but that was disgusting). whatever the reason, i really did struggle with him.

it does make me happy to say this was a win. i genuinely cried so much at the end, maybe i'm having a bad day but it was like a gut punch. i truly was so moved by robinson's writing and i would be very interested in another adult novel by her! right now rating feels hard but i think so many lines from this will stick with me, and basically every selina chapter is tattooed in my brain, so it needs to be high. SELINA ONLY DESERVES THE BEST!! MY BELOVED!!! SELINA CHAN FOR PRESIDENT!!! MY QUEEN FOR THE REST OF ETERNITY!!

*thank you to netgalley and smp for the copy!!*

[Jono Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have not devoured a book like this in a long time. I didn’t want to believe the hype, but it is absolutely real.

Bad Words is everything I want in a novel. It’s well written, perfectly paced, brimming with incredible character work, and completely addictive. But what really pushed it over the edge for me is how topical it feels. I absolutely loved what it had to say about criticism, the publishing industry, and the ways seemingly small opinions can spiral into something much bigger, especially on the internet.

What Robinson has accomplished here is nothing short of amazing. An instant classic and a book I know I’ll be thinking about for a very, very long time.

[Jessica J. · Rating 1.5 out of 5]

This legitimately might be my least favorite book I’ve read all year.

I went into Bad Words with a little bit of skepticism. It’s well established that my preferred flavor of romance tends to involve literally anything other than people falling in love with someone they hate. But this book had so much buzz, and enough of that buzz seemed to suggest that the two love interests eventually become tender with each other, that I couldn’t resist.

Lies.

I really did try to read this with an open mind, but everything about it trips all of my brightest red warning flags. It’s about Parker, a novelist, and Selina, the literary critic who gave his first book a terrible review. She is asked to review his second book and hates it just as much, so he decides to confront her at a publishing event. The video of their confrontation goes viral, they end up in a social media feud, and thus begins one of the most protracted enemies-to-lovers arcs I have ever encountered.

And when I say enemies, I don't mean “they bicker but secretly respect each other.” They are outright vicious toward each other for an enormous portion of this book. Even when they begin to develop some curiosity about each other, both remain remarkably committed to the belief that the other person probably sucks.

Also the prose. MY GOD. It's not just purple, it's a flashing neon indigo sign. It is extremely ornate and frequently felt labored rather than lyrical. Almost every physical detail seems to be looking for a metaphor or unusual phrasing, which eventually made the writing feel exhausting rather than beautiful. There are honey-colored shadows, teaspoons of light, gazes that “brush,” vacuum dust swirling up a “translucent throat,” and rooms described in ways that made me more aware of the author constructing sentences than of the scene itself. The prose rarely trusts a simple image when three embellished ones might be available.

I will say, the only reason this gets 1.5 stars instead of 1 (aside from the fact that Goodreads finally gives us that option) is that the thaw between Parker and Selina makes an attempt at demonstrating something few enemies-to-lovers books do well: attraction alone is not enough. The draw between these two is built largely through recognition. They start paying attention to each other’s ideas, taste, criticism, and ways of thinking. He realizes she is genuinely good at what she does. Her words start sticking with him. She remembers things he has said and seeks out work connected to his interests. Their growing attachment is intellectual before it is romantic, and that was by far the most compelling part of the book for me.

Unfortuately, that attachment makes up about 5% of this 380 page book. Neither of them does anything resembling kind until approximately 55% of the way through the book. Even then, they are still thinking of each other with deep skepticism and gradually dip back into snark. Other characters repeatedly comment on how mean they are to each other. Selina’s friend at one point essentially has to explain that if she wants to have a real conversation with Parker, she needs to stop insulting him. That friend's husband has to tell Parker that Selina is actually kind, which felt especially strange in a romance that otherwise seemed interested in the idea of two people slowly learning to see each other clearly.

Once the romance begins, it lasts about one and a half chapters (long enough for a three day sex marathon) before the third act conflict tears them apart again. I wanted the hostility to give way to curiosity, then respect, then warmth, then friendship, and finally romance. Instead, it felt more like hostility, hostility, hostility, intellectual curiosity, more hostility, 128 emails, reluctant attachment, an apology at approximately the three-quarter mark, then sex, more hurt feelings, and more sex.

I’ve seen this described as enemies-to-friends-to-lovers, but I genuinely don’t know when I was supposed to enjoy the “friends” portion. By the time they stopped being actively awful to each other, there simply wasn’t enough book left for me to believe in the tenderness I had been promised. For me, that’s kind of a problem in a romance novel and I can not even begin to comprehend how this has over two thousand reviews leaving it with 4.3 stars around here.

[Booksblabbering || Cait❣️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

The biting awareness and critique of Yellowface meets romance.

Imagine costing your publisher millions after your highly anticipated debut got ripped apart by your favourite (and highly regarded) critic.
Then, you wake up to see she’s somehow read and flayed your upcoming sophomore book.
Next thing you know, you’re both breaking headlines as your feud goes viral.

As someone who worked within the publishing industry, as someone who daily writes bookish reviews, as someone who is aware that my subjective opinions can influence, as someone who also writes creatively - this book was soul-searching.
Don’t even get me started on the fact that Selina changed from law to English because SAME.

I admit I have a morbid streak, but I also believe that morbidity is just another word for realism. We’re all an inch from death, essentially, at all times, and I don’t think it diminishes us to recognize that. Actually there’s something dignifying about the idea that, teetering on a precipice, we still reach for something sweet.

Selina Chan is her Magazine’s only Asian-American staff writer. She comes across as cold and detached. She prides herself on objectivity (something I definitely don’t follow: my reviews are filled with tangents and reflections). People view her as a tantalizing shortcut to commercial success or the literary Antichrist.

I appreciated the nuanced conversation of reviewing and critiquing. As a reviewer, my opinions are never against the author. I believe in hype, promotions, and honest opinions, but I don’t believe in attacking individuals, be that authors or reviewers.

Robinson uses the platform Threads to show our current climate; how the line between audience and author has been scratched out. The internet just loves taking sides. Toxic cancel culture, snobbish book communities, jumping on the bandwagon have become common.

I’m not here to write an essay on my thoughts on the role of reviewers and their purpose, despite how it might seem.
Robinson does a good job at showing both sides through two character perspectives who both have very different interiors to their outside facades.

I don’t know if I would call this romance. It’s more lit fic with suspenseful dread as you wait for the other shoe to drop.
It’s a character study and discussion and an incredible character study of two lost people coming to understand, respect, and crazily care what the other thinks.

The ending slightly let me down. Without spoilers, it felt too happy and hopeful without the repercussions I would have expected after the climax.
I would have also appreciated more exploration of the ‘right’ of an author or reviewer to comment on certain issues like race, mental health, etc. as the brief touch on this felt like something deserving of more page time.

Anyway, this felt very meta. Me, reviewing a book about a reviewer which both influences and alienates others.

Arc gifted by Harper Fiction.

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[Tarah DeWitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

BAD WORDS is a triumph for anyone who cares about art and all that goes into the creation and consumption of it. It's virtuosically told, full of sharp-as-hell observations that only make the romance more delicious. I was captivated from cover to cover. Rioghnach is such a refreshing voice!

[Em (semi-hiatus) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Two stars, and honestly, the heroine is doing most of the heavy lifting.

[Celine · Rating 5 out of 5]

An indescribably perfect novel. There have been so few times in my life that, after finishing a book, I’ve had to sit in silence for a beat, taking it all in.

Everything within these pages was deeply real to me. The people, places, scenarios. The whole messy world. Nothing felt rushed and it was all beautifully tangible. I can’t wait to pick this up, over and over and over again.

[DeAnn · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 critical stars *now available

Narrated by Katharine Chin, Major Curda

I enjoyed listening to and reading this story from debut author Rioghnach Robinson. I truly appreciate the two different voices, and they did a stellar job. I still hear their voices when I think about this story!

First, we have author Parker Navarro, he’s a writer with a second book about to come out. Since the book starts with his character, I developed sympathy for him right away. Writing is a difficult career choice. And then to have the world read the work that may have taken you years to craft. What about the critics who come along and either praise or destroy opinions about your book?

Selina Chan is a book critic for “City Magazine,” and it was fascinating to get her point of view next. The world of critics can be lonely. How much strength does it take to publish your own views instead of going along with popular sentiment? But on the flip side, how much power is vested in the opinions of critics?

My heart ached for Parker when Selina wrote a harsh review of his first book, which was originally predicted to be a bestseller. Thanks to this negative review, all his hopes were dashed, and his future was up in the air. Can writers recover from this? Selina and Parker have a very public feud, one argument even going viral.

Now Parker has a new book coming out, and Selina has been asked to review this one. What happens could make or break Parker. Should she review the book or turn it down?

I did not expect that Parker and Selina would begin a direct connection, first meeting, and then emailing and chatting via text. Could the two reconcile? And even more of a stretch: could they fall for each other?

This author somehow takes us from mortal enemies to a love connection, and it felt very genuine to me. It didn’t happen overnight; it took time, exploring commonalities and differences, and realizing that honesty is a great thing to embrace. This is not your typical romance, and it was great to read an original, well-written story with memorable characters. I did find that it had a slow start, but I was rewarded for sticking with it!

This was a great buddy read with Marilyn and Jayme and I think it would be a good one for book clubs too.

My thanks to Macmillan Audio and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and listen in return for an honest review.

[Zoulfa Katouh · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

we're all pictung manny jacinto and li qin right? becaUSE I AM

[Meagan (Meagansbookclub) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3
It started out strong with the tension between the author and the critic, but as the story went on, it just fell flat. The emails back and forth felt too much and for spending all this time with the characters, I didn't really feel connected to either one by the end. I liked it well enough. Didn't love it.