Po has just broken up with his boyfriend, Earn, who dumped him because Po isn’t equally successful. For this reason, Po promises himself not to find someone like Earn again. Working as a director on a documentary introduces him to Thame, the leader of the country’s top idol group, Mars, who is about to leave his members for a solo career in South Korea, causing them to disband. Po sees the selfishness of Earn in Thame. But the more he gets to know Thame as a human being, not an idol, the more he realizes that Thame is nothing like he first thought he was. Now Po wants to help Thame smooth things out with his friends, Jun, Dylan, Nano, and Pepper, while also piecing Mars back together. Po falls for Thame, knowing idols aren’t allowed to date… and that his feelings could be a problem for the whole group.
ThamePo: A Heart That Skips a Beat really said: “Hey, remember joy? I’m about to ruin you in the best way.”
Let me tell you how my love story with ThamePo—and eventually WilliamEst and LYKN—started.
I’m an avid fan of Thai shows. Or… I was. Life happened, enthusiasm vanished, and somewhere along the way I lost my love for pretty much everything. Including books. Then one show pulled me back in. No, it wasn’t ThamePo (tragically). But that show led to another show, which led to a book, which led to me spiraling joyfully into fandom again.
Enter: Instagram. Yes, a very Gen-Z pipeline for someone who is… not Gen-Z. A random clip popped up, the actors looked interesting, so I thought, sure, one episode won’t hurt. Narrator voice: It hurt. In the best way.
And now, months later, here I am: Paying ridiculous amounts of money for this book. Paying again for the second edition. Buying LYKN concert tickets for their London show. Dragging my friends along because I can’t go alone. Becoming a full-time WilliamEst enthusiast.
The show itself isn’t groundbreaking in concept—but the execution? Chef’s kiss. Subtle acting, gorgeous cinematography, and emotions that sneak up on you and refuse to leave. William absolutely blew my socks off with his talent. And having seen Est before, watching his growth here made it impossible not to admire how hard he’s worked.
Also—for the love of my life—why is William ten years younger than me? A whole decade. Rude.
This show has officially entered comfort show territory. I am not exaggerating when I say I’ve watched it over 20 times. At this point, it’s practically a lifestyle choice.
Now, the book: I went in with low expectations. It’s a translation, and it was written after the show—which is never easy. For about three-quarters of the book, it felt very YA, especially compared to the quieter, more mature emotional arc we saw on screen. Not “adult” as in explicit—just more grounded, more lived-in. But then… the last part happened.
Yes. That part.
The breakup.
The part I hated in the show.
The part I dreaded rereading.
And somehow—somehow—the book did it better. It hurt all over again, but in a way that felt deeper and more intentional. That section was genuinely beautiful, and I have to give credit where it’s due.
Do I think the writing itself is extraordinary? Not really. I wish the story had been more fleshed out. But considering the author was also the director, and English isn’t her first language, I went in with grace—and came out pleasantly surprised. As the first Thai translated book I’ve read, I truly enjoyed the experience, bias and all.
Now, as we patiently (impatiently) wait for You Maniac to drop, I can only hope we get a book version of that too. Because clearly, I have learned nothing and will continue throwing money and emotions at this universe.
Let me end with the most famous—and most devastating—line in Thai BL history: “Thame, aren’t you tired? Hmmm?”
*.✧ rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ My babies thame & po, i started this novel because I have the series in my watchlist and i have heard a lot about it. it's one of the fluffiest, sweetest and an emotional read:) thame is such a green forest and po too honestly all the characters in this novels were sweet and sacrificing for each other 😭♥️(well they did have their own stands too so don't worry). anyways, this was close door romance because these two are two shy baby boos. and i promise you'll love all the side characters the way they are😚.(jun,dylan,nano,pepper)
Exactly like the series, not a speck out of the script. No wonder considering it's been written after and according to the series script. It's nice, its cute. very pg-13
ThamePo se ha convertido en una de mis historias favoritas, definitivamente parte de mis series favoritas, y poder revisitarla a través de este libro ha agregado partes y pensamientos que en la serie no se nos presenta de una forma explícita.
Sin embargo, por más que ame la serie, el libro no le llega ni a los talones. En su mayoría porque se siente como un complemento a la serie y no como un libro que se sostenga por su cuenta. Además de que hubo momentos en los que se sentía tan apresurado que no me daba el tiempo de procesarlos bien, no hubo ni un descanso, que, si bien eso queda muy bien el formato de serie, para un libro no.
Eso no quita mi amor por los personajes ni la historia, al contrario los amo más porque me permitió ver un poco su introperspectiva, pero como un complemento.
I loved this book, I loved how they touched on the topics of dreams and success🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍. Dreams are different for everyone for some people their dream can be as simple as becoming a gardener, but as long as it brings them happiness that’s all that matter 💫💫💫
I’m telling you this novel really deserves more attention and more love. I really binge read like crazy because it’s light and easy to read. Plus really sweet too! Po is such a green flag I really can’t with him. Everything just fits perfectly, the plot, the pacing, the climax, even the ending feels just right. I won’t stop recommending peple to read this novel.
hẹ hẹ ( ̄▽ ̄= ̄▽ ̄) yes, i read it bcuz i watched the series. love them both 💅 i mean- thame is literally the greenest flag to ever greened, yk 🥹 tôi iu thằng chóa koăn này zl,, he's so fluffy i'm gonna die!
La historia me gusto mucho, y fue facil de leer por que la encontre linda y tierna. y su adaptacion a serie, fue realmente aun mas linda que en el libro.
Escucho las voces de un corazón, las fanáticas felices, los deseos silenciosos de todos los espectadores y una pregunta no abandona mi mente.
¿Podemos tener amor y cumplir nuestros sueños?
Porque somos humanos, nos enamoramos, sentimos y al final deseamos no tener que elegir, en esta historia pude ver el otro lado de la inmensa producción de artistas provenientes de Asia, porque tendemos a verlos como solo eso, artistas, casi como si eso definiera la totalidad de lo que son. Comienzo esta reseña pensando en el amor, las sonrisas, la amistad, esas personas que vienen a nuestra vida a darle luz y sobre todo lo que significa en realidad buscar cumplir un sueño.
Su prosa es ágil, la manera de relatarte un mundo al que la mayoría somos ajenos y pese a todo dejarte un sabor de boca similar a lo que podrías vivir en el día a día. Literalmente no solté el libro hasta que culmino dejándome una sonrisa y el corazón repleto de emociones, sin importar el desenlace si la historia está clara podremos ver lo que desean expresarnos entre líneas. Es corto y eso juega a su favor, pero en sus páginas esconde algo más que un frívolo intento de vendernos un romance, nos adentra en los amigos, la familia, los fanáticos y las parejas, todo inmerso en un grupo fantástico de personajes que resultan un descanso para el lector que se encuentra perdido en otras historias.
No tengo críticas negativas salvo que desearía desarrollaran más historias a raíz de ella, en resumen diré que pase de la risa a las lágrimas tan fácil que no supe cuando lograron dejarme en mi cálida cama pensando en sus últimas líneas, fue un libro que como adivinaran se quedara en mi corazón y logró obtener cinco estrellas, sin fallos y con una única deuda, me hizo recordar amistades perdidas y lamentar que el camino se alejara, aunque quizás después de todo solo estamos siguiendo nuestros sueños y eso me da una felicidad difícil de describir. Los espero en próximas reseñas y deseo que encuentren ese libro que le hace falta a su corazón, ciao.
This book is an adaptation of a show I really love. On the surface it seems like a cheesy romance between the leader of a T-Pop boy band and a director. Underneath it is an interesting commentary about idol culture, capitalism and whether success truly means fulfilment all tied together with a found family you come to love and romance you can’t help but root for.
The show was certainly something I needed to watch. I had come to me when I was in a bit of a crossroads about my career and the next steps. There was a comfort and easy veneer of success that came with continuing with law. But as I soon came to realise I did not feel fulfilled. This show was instrumental in cementing my decision to truly pursue academia as risky as it was. It was so valuable in also helping me realise that even if I don’t necessarily achieve society’s version success I still have worth as person, what I contribute still has value. It’s something I haven’t felt in a long time.
Sentimentality aside I did read a fan-translation of the book and I fear there maybe some Thai literary conventions im not aware of which made the reading experience different (very dialogue heavy with some introspection not much description). It didn’t really add all too much to the show so I would definitely recommend watching it first (it’s on YouTube it’s called ThamePo: Heart that Skips a Beat). This is however a nice companion to the series and did reveal a few things and added some context for others.
Overall im very grateful for having this media in my life. It joins Haikyuu and Yuri On Ice as the pieces of media that I can honestly say have changed the course of my 20s.
Anyway it’s midnight im getting sentimental I should sleep.
En realidad le daría un 4.5 al libro ya que está bastante bien. Diría que el único problema es que le falta profundidad en ciertas partes, eso hace que se sienta superficial y no se pueda conectar al 100% con los personajes. Se siente más como un guión que como una novela en cierto sentido. Pero dejando eso a un lado, la forma en la que el libro presenta la lucha por la que pasan las personas que deben escoger entre el amor y sus sueños me gustó mucho. Los personajes no podrían ser mejores, desde Thame y Po hasta Mick y Pemika, todos te hacen apreciar un punto de vista muy diferente sobre la vida, las expectativas y el éxito. Te hace reflexionar bastante como fan y como persona sobre las acciones que tomas y las conciencias que estás tienen. Amé que el autor plasmara la relación entre ídolos y fans de una forma tan bonita, mostrando lo bueno y lo malo. Toda fan ama a su ídolo y desea verlo feliz pero a veces se dejan llevar por sus emociones y terminan haciéndoles daño, el punto está en aprender a lidiar con ello y hacer lo mejor que se pueda. Por último y creo que mi parte favorita es el hecho de que el autor se tomará la libertad de decir que el T-pop no tiene que ser como el K-pop. A pesar de que muchas personas lo pueden ver como similares, el autor se encarga de dejar claro que el T-pop desea abrir su propio camino rigiéndose por sus propias reglas.
Admittedly, I'm incapable of separating the book from the TV series, and this has just become my favorite BL series of all time.
The book isn't exactly the same as the series and isn't comprehensive enough, emotion-wise, to stand on its own, separate from the actors' rendition of these characters and the amazing music and cinematography of the actual series. However, it's a perfect supplementary material to the series. Some details are added, some details are missing, and some events also get shuffled around. There's more background story of Po's and Earn's relationship here, a better explanation of Jun's actions around Thame and Po, and a slightly deeper insight into Thame's perception of Pemika. There are also many beautiful quotes in the book that don't make it to the series. My favorite is:
Someone once said that after the rain, you'll find a rainbow. And if you walk to the end of the rainbow, you'll find treasure.
Note: Although I wrote this review in English for my convenience, I read the book in Thai.
“no matter what happens, no matter what i have to face, no matter how hard it gets, please don’t let go of my hand”
“even if the world rejects us, even if it crumbles before us, i still want to stand beside everyone—and you” - this gave me ptsd but still love it
“po, where are you?” “behind you” “don’t leave me again”
i really missed the characters after watching the series, so thought this was the perfect solution. it’s a five star because it’s literally exactly the same as the series (obviously considering it was published after it). loveeeeeed it, so cute and wholesome, greatly appreciated after what i’ve been reading. anywho live laugh love thame.
pd: still very much in a slump but hey, i only need to read one more book.
A pesar de que es el cliché de la historia de idol que escribiría una adolescente de 13 años, con la salvedad que no está escrita por una adolescente de 13 años, considero que es más bien un guion de serie en vez de una novela. (Tal vez ese siempre fue el objetivo desde el inicio). Por otra parte cabe destacar que toca muy levemente la cara oscura de la industria del entretenimiento que existe en Asia, la inexistente vida privada de los idols así como el papel de las agencias cuando solo ven los símbolos de $$$. Pero en fin, mucho amor, trabajo en equipo y deseos de hacer los verdaderos sueños realidad.
Such a great read. So heartwarming. Every character had a role to play adding to the development of the story, showing the perspective of idols/artist in the entertainment industry and how they overcome obstacles while also falling in love. Love and growth were two of the main themes and they developed both so well.
It is a 6 Star for me, the book and Series are so great. I normally don't like Star Trope but this is so much more than just a Romance it is about the industry, friendship that break and come back together what people need things they scare what they think they need to do in live to be a good person and to be loved and liked by other people, in all that also a romance.
Lo ame tanto como a la serie, lo leí con la idea de entender unas cositas que no entendí en la serie y la verdad no me arrepiento de haberlo leído.... me saco de una depresión post libro (Amanecer en la cosecha)