Monday 24 October 2022

Well, that was Unexpected by Jesse Q Sutanto


An outrageous, laugh-out-loud YA rom-com about a girl who's whisked from LA to her mother's native Indonesia to get back to her roots and finds herself fake-dating the son of one of the wealthiest families there, from the author of Dial A for Aunties.

After Sharlot Citra's mother catches her in a compromising position, she finds herself whisked away from LA to her mother's native Indonesia. It'll be exactly what they both need. Or so her mother thinks.

When George Clooney Tanuwijaya's father (who is obsessed with American celebrities) fears he no longer understands how to get through to his son, he decides to take matters into his own hands.

To ensure that their children find the right kind of romantic partner, Sharlot's mother and George's father do what any good parent would do: they strike up a conversation online, pretending to be their children.

When the kids find out about their parents' actions, they're horrified. Not even a trip to one of the most romantic places on earth could possibly make Sharlot and George fall for each other. But as the layers peel back and the person they thought they knew from online is revealed, the truth becomes more complicated. As unlikely as it may seem, did their parents manage to find their true match after all?



I didn't read Dial A for Aunties. I wanted to, but - look, we're all readers here! You know how it gets with the TBR. So when I got this one, I thought it would be a great chance to try Jesse's style and see how I like it.

Jesse very clearly loves and adores Indonesia. Her passion for it shines through almost every scene. I learned a lot about a country I know very little about as I read this, which is always fun.  There's a definite flavour of Crazy Rich Asians as Sharlot is swept into life as George's (fake) girlfriend.

The story itself is as you probably expect from the summary, and I sometimes found it hard to remember which POV we were in as they often sounded the same. However I enjoyed the read very much, and Jesse has a wicked sense of humour that was great for the heavier moments.

Overall a great read I really enjoyed.



Well, That Was Unexpected published on the 27th of September, 2022 in the US (top image) and will publish on the 10th of November, 2022 in the UK (lower image). I received a free copy and am giving an honest review.

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