Meddy Chan has shouldered the family curse and given up everything to stay at home with her Ma and three aunts. Together they run the family wedding business and on the eve on the wedding of the year, Meddy runs into a little situation with her blind date, a taser and a tree. This may or may not have resulted in the death of said blind date. In true farce style instead of handling things in the normal way, Meddy enlists the four sisters to help. Thus ensues a caper of epic proportions, that doesn’t let up for a second, but produces some truly memorable moments. And that’s before Nathan, Meddy’s true love and the ‘one that got away’ enters the fun.

This book was so much fun, it made me smile, laugh, cry and gasp. Yes, I had to suspend reality but who the heck doesn’t want to do that for a little while right? It was a hilarious rollercoaster of bad decisions, big characters and laugh out loud moments. The dim sum meetings and sibling bickering brought the whole family dynamic to life. Meddy and the four sisters were so well written that I feel like we’re life-long friends sharing a meal laughing our way through the whole debacle. In summary this was a razor sharp, quirky, witty romp of a story all wrapped up in a great big family hug….brilliant!

Wedding cakes, dead bodies, and aunties... oh my! This book was laugh out loud hilarious! You definitely need to go into this book with suspended belief. Kind of reminded me of Stephanie Plum or more recently Finlay Donovan. Meddalin accidentally kills her blind date end it is aunties to the rescue! What could possibly go wrong? Well just about everything, that’s what! I am seriously giggling to myself right now thinking about some of the antics these characters got up to in this book. The book reads like a movie and I just heard a rumor that it’s going to be a movie on Netflix! This is a fun feel-good story filled with humor, charm, and Indonesian Chinese culture. Next time you’re in the mood for a good laugh, pick this one up!

This book in emojis ⚰️ 🚤 👰🏻‍♀️ 💎 🍾 📸

*** Big thank you to Berkley for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

What genre is this? I have NO idea, but it was smart and highly entertaining so it was a win for me. If pushed to classify, I’d call it a comedic mystery 🤷🏼‍♀️

This book was so fun and hilarious! I didn’t quite know what to expect and I’m glad I didn’t go into the book with any ideas.

Dial A for Aunties starts with Meddy, the only daughter of Ma. She lives at home with her mother for cultural reasons. She is a photographer for their family business - a full service wedding concierge. They provide flowers, photography, hair and makeup and entertainment along with her 3 aunties. When Meddy goes on a blind date at her Ma’s insistence, it doesn’t go quite as planned. Her Ma and Aunties have to help cover everything up! Meddy also runs into her college love during this novel and their reunion was very sweet. I liked that the romance was just a little part of this story.

I loved Meddy’s Ma and her aunties. I love their rivalry with each other, but they are fiercely protective of each other. They had no issues ripping on each other, but they would help with anything someone asked of them. I loved their whole family dynamic.

This is an incredible debut novel by @jesseqsutanto and I’m so happy there’s already a sequel on the way! And I heard a rumor Netflix is picking this up too!

4.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Thanks to @berkleypub and @netgalley for my advanced reader copy. Dial A for Aunties is on sale today!

Murder, mystery, romance, and family drama wrapped up into one hilarious and highly entertaining novel!

Meddy Chan is still pining for the one who got away during her college days and isn’t interested in finding love. She’s devoted to her family and now works in the wedding business with her ma and aunties. Meddy’s ma is determined to find someone for her, so she does what any mother would do - she catfishes a guy and sets Meddy up on a blind date with him! Everything goes downhill from there, as you can imagine, but you probably weren’t expecting:

1 (accidental) murder
2 thousand wedding guests
3 (maybe) cursed generations and
4 meddling Asian aunties!

I was literally 🤣 while reading this book and kept thinking it would make a fantastic movie! Apparently it has already been optioned by Netflix, so I cannot wait for that!

I loved Meddy, but the aunties definitely stole the show with their individual quirks, crazy shenanigans, and witty banter spawned by their sibling rivalry. I appreciated the foreword about the author’s family history and heritage, and I enjoyed learning about Chinese-Indonesian culture and family dynamics through the characters in this book. Most of all, I adored the positive relationships and unconditional love between Meddy, her mom, and her aunties.

If you’re looking for a fun, charming, laugh out loud page-turner, then go pick this one up now!

This was such a good time from beginning to end - charming, cute, hilarious, & even suspenseful, this book has it all! "Dial A for Aunties" was one of my most anticipated reads of the year & it didn't disappoint one bit.

The book has many strong suits, but the two strongest, in my opinion, were the characters & its inclusion of Chinese-Indonesian culture throughout. These characters were just fantastic - Meddy, her mom & the aunties were such a joy to follow (Fourth Aunt is my spirit animal, her feathery nails!), I couldn't get enough of them & their shenanigans. Family was such a persistent theme throughout & the issues were very relatable - I think so many of us can relate to feeling the pressures of not meeting familial expectations. I loved learning about Chinese-Indonesian culture & traditions, I had no idea just how much goes into these weddings (& the food - the food! I've never craved dim sum more). There really wasn't a single thing I didn't enjoy about the book, if anything I just wish we would've gotten one more chapter before the epilogue!

I think this is going to be a huge hit & I need a sequel - please don't let this be the end of these characters! Thank you so much to Jesse Q. Sutanto, NetGalley & Berkley for providing an ARC in exchange for a honest review!

This book was amazeeeee! If you enjoy humorous who-dun-it books with an added bonus of meddling aunties, then this is the book for you!

Let me start with the absolute hilarity of this book. It was a true rom-com with a dash of murder. Who doesn't love that? Our main character, Meddy, has 3 quirky aunts who are doing everything they can to help her hide a body (hey, accidental murder! How are you?) while still trying to pull off the wedding of a century. On top of the crazy and ridiculous situation that begins this humorous journey, it is actually the characters that bring the laughter. Each aunt is so different and so funny! Their personalities are great, but I loved seeing the way they handled this absolutely insane situation. They must dispose of a dead body in the middle of a wedding, but most of the time, they're more focused on setting Meddy up with her true love. This book is just so over the top, it's funny.

Also, while this book is a blend of many different genres, the thriller-ness that usually comes with a murder book is still present! There are plenty of plot twists and unexpected occurrences that keep this book surprising and fast-paced. Don't discount this murder book just because it's not a "murder mystery."

If I haven't convinced you to read this book yet then you're missing out. It is a must-read for all genre-lovers and should be enjoyed with many hearty laughs.

Dial A for Aunties left me in awe. This mix of a murder mystery and rom-com was incredible and left me laughing.

This book was hilarious, I couldn't put it down and was laughing throughout most of it. The banter was witty, the family drama was *chef's kiss*, and the reveals kept me coming back for more. I kept wondering how Meddy would come out of this and was rooting for her and Nathan, even though that was a small plot. I loved the aunties and Meddy and the bickering. This was an immersive and wonderful experience.

You need to read this book!

CW: threat of sexual assault, racism, corpse being moved

Really interesting premise and had funny moments. If you know you know aunties are always on stand bye for a crisis. Regardless I really enjoy plots that have a strong female familiar structure, something about it just makes the book more enjoyable. I'm not sure if there was a real mystery since you know what happens (hopefully that's not a spoiler). I think there was a lot going on which was the major drawback.

A word of warning, don’t drink hot tea while you’re reading this book, because it will burn when it comes out your nose as you snort-laugh at something completely unexpected and hilarious…and it may happen more than once.

Ok, now that you’ve been warned I can tell you that you absolutely need this book in your life. It is hilarious, and completely bananas. Take four meddling (but well-meaning) sisters, a daughter who just wants her own life but feels duty-bound to stay with her family, an accidental murder, the season’s biggest wedding, and throw in a pinch of romance—you’ve got a wild ride that you won’t want to put down until you reach the last page.

Think of this as a funnier, modern, Weekend at Bernie's with an Indo-Chinese family who run a wedding business and are trying to pull off the event of the year while hiding the man they’ve accidentally killed. At every turn they make things worse for themselves and you’ll be covering your eyes, laughing hysterically, and yelling at the characters in equal measures.

I can’t stop talking about this book, it is so over-the-top and you definitely have to suspend reality for a while, but it was exactly the hilarious, feel-good romantic suspense / murder mystery I needed in my life.

Meddy Chan is a 26-year-old photographer for her family's wedding business which includes her mother and three aunties. When Meddy accidentally kills her blind date, she of course turns to her family for help.

The first thing you need to know going into this book is to suspend your disbelief. It's meant to be over the top and includes one of the craziest chain of events at a wedding. On top of all the zany antics, this is a story about family, their expectations and their squabbles. But it also shows what it means when your family has your back.

The story has a second chance romance with a fun epilogue too. If you're in the mood for a story with family, humor and a dash of romance be sure to pick this one up. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the gifted e-copy of this book.

I'm smiling just thinking about this book! Meddelin, her mother, and her three aunts have a wedding business and they each have a role in it. This wasn't Meddy's dream, but she feels obligated to stay wither mom and extended family (there's apparently a family curse that makes all the males leave, and she can't bear to disappoint her mom).

Meddy's the photographer. And she's single, and that's something her mom wants her to change. So much that her mom sets her up on a blind date that does not go well in a big way. So Meddy, her mom, and her aunts find themselves on an island for a wedding (they're working) with a dead body that they have to get rid of. And Meddy's ex-boyfriend is there too (second chance romance, anyone?).

This book is hilarious. The shenanigans kept me laughing. The aunties were awesome in their interactions. The story is definitely larger than life, and reads kind of like a slapstick comedy, and I was totally here for it. So, don't expect something realistic, but do expect to be entertained! I was definitely rooting for Meddy!

I am looking forward to reading more by this author.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I heard about this book on a couple of different podcasts and saw that it was available in NetGalley. I was attracted by the idea of a large and meddling family of women all working to help the youngest of them (and the only girl in her generation) after she accidentally kills a man. Also, a look at the intricacies of a now American family who came from Chinese-Indonesian roots. And those parts I really liked. I also liked the story of Meddy getting to reconnect with her college romance (which we see growing and exploding in flashback chapters; not my favorite plot device). However, my anxiety spiked just a little too high at seeing the body being moved around and the family nearly being discovered.

Three and a half stars
This book comes out April 27th, 2021
ARC kindly provided by Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Dial A for Aunties is a ridiculous and over the top black comedy that requires you to suspend disbelief. The story is completely bananas - it is absurd, satirical, and most importantly, it doesn't take itself seriously. You have to let go of reality, kick back, and enjoy the absurdity of it all.

When wedding photographer Meddy accidentally kills her blind date, her mom and aunts help her get rid of the body. But the dead body inadvertently gets shipped off to an island resort where a billionaire wedding is taking place. The same wedding that Meddy and her aunts are working. Now Meddy and her family have to make sure no one at the wedding comes across the body.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I didn't have to think too hard while reading - I completely let go of reality and just went with the flow. The strength of this book? The ridiculous plot and the dark humour. The weakness of this book? The characterization of Meddy. She seems quite immature for her age; her actions and behaviour do not exactly align with her age. But here's the thing: Meddy may be the de facto heroine of this book, but her mom and aunties steal the spotlight. They are the real heroines of this story.

As for the rest of the supporting characters, they are basically two-dimensional cardboard cut-outs. Like I said, this book is not about characterization. This book is about a comedic storyline that is deeply rooted in the absurd. There is also a romantic subplot, but it's boring next to the murder and mayhem. The story did lose momentum toward the end; I was not a fan of the climax, but everything before the climax was epic. This book would honestly make a great movie.

Tl;dr - Read this book if you're looking for an over the top black comedy with meddling aunties. Sit back and enjoy the story for the sheer ridiculousness and comedy of it all.

Review:

“I have four mothers and all of their hopes and dreams have been placed on my shoulders. I’m basically driven by a mixture of caffeine and familial guilt”

Y’all. I found this book to be slapstick hilarious. This gave me Weekend at Bernies with a hilarious family. I would have loved to listen to this in audio and I bet the different characters personalities bounced off the pages.

It was inappropriately funny, and yes I giggled when she Meddy talked about covering the face of a dead body because she thought it was respectful and Ma said she raised her so well.. minus the fact there’s a dead body. But then, there’s also these amazing expressions of love that are hilarious. After Ma praises Meddy for being respectful, Meddy basically says she just killed someone so can’t say she’s raised her well, and Ma automatically counters with a, “Oh, he must deserve it”.

I will say, I was NOT expecting part 2 to start the way it did. But, it was such a pleasant surprise. My guesses went somewhere else, and I’m really glad it did the author went it the direction they did. I wondered how in the world they were going to explain everything that happened, and I’m glad it turned out the way it did. I do feel part of the ending (trying not to spoil here) was thrown as an afterthought, but I’m letting it pass because I laughed so hard!

If you loved Weekend at Bernie’s, but would love a more fun, modern version, look no further! I really enjoyed this book, and am so glad I got an eARC for Dial A for Aunties! This book got me out of my terrible reading slump. Thank you so much Berkley! Dial A is out today!

“A hilariously quirky novel that is equal parts murder mystery, rom-com, and a celebration of mothers and daughters as well as a deep dive into Chinese-Indonesian culture, by debut author Jesse Q. Sutanto.” Dial A for Aunties is out tomorrow, thank you so much to Berkley for this gifted copy! Y’all, I have never been so stressed out reading a romance book, but all of my emotional labor was rewarded in the end! I included the blurb above as part of my review because it perfectly captures the balance the plot strikes in this books.

This is a second chance romance about Meddy and her college sweetheart Nathan. They meet up again after Meddy’s family business is hired to work the biggest wedding of the year and the island resort that Nathan manages. Due to the abrupt nature of their initial parting, neither of them have stopped pining after the other, so the connection when they see each other again is instantaneous and strong. Rather than spending a large amount of the plot on their reunion, Sutanto gives us flashbacks from their years together in college and it was such a unique way to build up the romance and I absolutely loved it.

All of the stress I mentioned earlier starts pretty much right away. Meddy begrudgingly goes on a date that her mom catfished her into by impersonating her on a dating app. Unfortunately, as her mom’s first language is not English, she does not understand all of the heavy handed innuendo the guy uses, and Meddy ends up on a date with an absolute creep. One thing leads to another and her mom and aunts are helping her hide a corpse the night before the big wedding. Things do not go as planned, and the body ends up at the wedding with them and they spend the rest of the weekend trying to get it off the island before anyone notices. Chaos ensues.

I loved this one so so much. I loved Meddy’s family and the glimpse into their culture. I loved the relationship between Nathan and Meddy, they were really perfect together. I loved all of the aunts together and the squabbles they had with each other and how much they love each other and Meddy. Weekend at Bernies is an old reference and I know that, but if you are an elder millennial like me, and you enjoyed that movie, you’ll definitely enjoy this book. I saw in the author’s note that this one will be a Netflix movie and I cannot wait to watch it!

You know you’ve had a terrible blind date when a) the guy is someone your meddling mother has been chatting to online pretending to be you and b) you end up accidentally killing him. But Meddelin doesn’t have time to deal with the dead body right now because her family are working a big wedding at a new island resort the next morning, supplying the flowers, cake, make-up, photography and entertainment.
But after a mix-up ensures the body comes along for the ride, Meddy’s in for a wild weekend with her aunties involving a blast from her romantic past, drunken groomsmen and a heist.
This is a super-funny read full of slapstick moments reminiscent of a scene from Weekend at Bernie’s or Fawlty Towers – so much so that it has already been picked up for a possible screen adaptation by Netflix. But my favourite parts were the fractious relationships between the main character, her mother and aunties, and the insights into their Indo-Chinese heritage.

Meddy’s mother sets her up on a blind date - a date, mind you, she secured for Meddy by catfishing a guy on a dating app, but that’s neither here nor there - and the guy is a nightmare. He’s full of himself and aggressive, and he doesn’t take no for an answer, and like…so…somehow….Meddy miiiiight have like…accidentally killed him.

ACCIDENTALLY!

But like…he’s dead.

So what’s a girl to do? Call her mom and her three meddlesome aunties, of course! Who better to call when you need to dispose of a body than four middle-aged Indo-Chinese women?

But then things get…….…complicated.

This book made me CACKLE. It is OUTRAGEOUS and hilarious and sooooo much fun! The ridiculous situations these women get into are BEYOND. The aunties are hilaaaaarious, and the twists and turns keep on coming, and oh my goodness it’s all just so satisfying and SO painfully clever! It has absolutely everything. This book is popcorn. It’s delicious and entertaining once you start it, you won’t be able to put it down. I loved it, and I need a sequel immediately!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

Can I give this book 10 stars please!! This debut novel by Jesse Sutanto is a hilarious, cozy, mysterious romcom with unending comedy of errors!!

Meddy and her aunties are in a wedding business and the story unfolds with the death of Meddy’s blind date and hysterical events on how the aunties help Maddy hide the body! The body ends up at the wedding event where Meddy and her aunties are hired. The story takes more eventful turns when Maddy learns that her ex boyfriend Nathan is the owner of the island resort!

This book celebrates Chinese and Indonesian culture, family knit and heritage. I found myself laughing out loud at so many instances. It is so unbelievably funny that I had tears in my eyes! I had to stop and narrate some of the scenes to my husband as he kept asking why I was laughing so much!!

This witty book releases on April 27th so go get your copy today, you will be delightfully thrilled!

Thank you @berkleypub and @netgalley for the advance galley in exchange of my honest review!

This book is so much fun to read. Like other reviewers have stated, and I agree, it's a mix of Weekend at Bernie's with The Hangover and Finlay Donovan is Killing It. I really enjoyed the main character, Meddy, and felt for her. She is torn between doing what she wants to do and doing what she thinks is best for her mom and aunties. When in college and dating the perfect boy, she chooses her family over her love.
Now, years later, she is in the wedding business with her mom and four aunts. Her mom sets Meddy up on a blind date, whom she ends up accidentally killing. She turns to her mom and aunts for help and hilarity ensues due to a wedding that they have scheduled for that weekend. I found myself chuckling many times while all the aunts where in the same room. So much fun. You do have to suspend reality, though, and just enjoy it!

Thank you to Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for a digital arc in exchange for my honest review.