DRC Review: Bad Words by Rioghnach Robinson
- Story Eater
- 27 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Release date: 6 October 2026
Rating: 4.5/5
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Genre: Fiction/Romance
Synopsis: A sharp and deeply felt debut about art, ambition, and 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.When words can make or break us, how do you stay true to what matters most?
Review
Oh, man, I hope a ton of folk read this book.
Robinson presents a masterclass in how to write a narrative with a moral without beating the reader over the head. The only other writer I know of who, for me, has done this as masterfully is Pat Conroy. Anytime a writer wants to convince an audience through fiction that a particular issue, whether social, moral, etc., bears marked importance and needs attention and/or change should write more like Robinson or Conroy and less like…well, like most do today.
Bad Words focuses on conflict in the literary world within the structure and confines of the very public and treacherous realm of social media. While Selina wrote an honest review of Parker's novel, her influence impacted his writing and career in the worst possible way. Robinson explores the professional ethics of critics and their power over writers' careers, along with the very herd-mentality nature of those who read the reviews and don't care to read and make up their own minds for themselves. I especially liked the exploration of what it means to review an author's work again after so disliking the first interactions with it.
Parker and Selina have the kind of "enemies-to-lovers" romance that feels authentic, with human interaction leads to deeper knowledge of an individual and a growing attraction grounded in a more intellectual stimulation that then morphs into a physical one. I feel this is a great story for those who like more logic-oriented instead of coarser romances. Misunderstandings, stereotypes, preconceived notions—all of these factor into the relationship between the two main characters, and Robinson handles these aspects deftly. I didn't once feel like any of the writing was cheapened by forced trope inclusions or selling points to play to the current market trends.
I read the synopsis on this one and took a chance on it, knowing all too well synopses can be written with more skill than the books they describe. I was happily surprised at how much I liked it and would highly recommend this one to folks who want to read a romance but need substance as well.
My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the DRC, for which I willingly give my own, honest opinion.
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