I had been looking forward to reading this book ever since I first read the back cover copy. The author's introduction/author's note at the beginning of the book solidified my impression that this was going to be a good book. I enjoyed the dual timelines between the heroine's college life and current life, both progressing along in the story, and I enjoyed the prologue setup, though it was entirely telling rather than showing. On to the story and what caused me to rate it two stars.

I was uncomfortable with how after graduating from college, Meddie breaks up with the love-of-her-life (and the hero of this story) Nathan. She has made up her mind that she cannot abandon her mother and aunts and move away from home. So when Nathan gets the job in NYC, she tells him that she has stopped loving him, all so he wouldn't sacrifice his NYC job for her. He is utterly shocked. It is one thing to be self-sacrificing, but quite another to lie like that and break his heart. Why did she not opt for an honest conversation where she lays out all the reasons she cannot move? Instead, she chooses to break up with him in the worst way possible. He had hoped to marry her. I thought she was very insensitive to his feelings and immature in how she handled the situation.

My belief in her immaturity was solidified by what happens with her ill-fated date with Jake.

Yes, Jake was totally behaving like a creep and a threat to her in the car, and she was justified in being scared by his behavior. But tasering him while he is driving fast is a surefire way to getting both of them badly hurt or killed. Luckily for her, despite the car wrapping around a tree, she is OK and her car is dented but OK, but Jake is so badly hurt that she thinks he is dead. I was then horrified that instead of using his phone to call 911; or walking to get help; or somehow maneuvering him out of the way on the roadside, driving to get help, and returning with the help, she stuffs him in the trunk of her car.

Then she drives home to her mother and lets her mother and aunts take care of her and the situation. She shows no maturity even at 26, no remorse, and no conscience. I read in horrified fascination as she, her mother, and her aunts all eat and joke and laugh while Jake lies unconscious or dead in the car trunk. Then they drive him over and put him in a cooler, which the next day, gets put on a boat to an island, and so on.

I know we are supposed to be laughing along with all these shenanigans, but my sympathies were all with Jake and none with Meddie. I kept on hoping Jake would wake up soon and go on home, chastened by what has happened to him. Instead, the horror kept going on.

I had hoped so much from this book. The author paints a wonderful picture of her aunties at the beginning, and I had hoped they would do madcap stuff, which they did, except, I did not want them do to it with a "dead" body. That was just not funny.

(BTW for a 5'2" petite girl to lift a deadweight grown man, who outweighs her by a lot and is much taller than her, is impossible. So that whole thing of her moving him from the driver's seat into the trunk is completely unbelievable. I know we're supposed to suspend disbelief at this point, but it is a bridge too far for me. Implausible things I can take in stride, but this is impossible.)

This was a fun read, overall. I liked Meddy, as well as her meddlesome aunties. Some plot points were a bit over the top and unbelievable. The pace was active, but there was a bit too much going on sometimes. I heard rumors about this being picked up by Netflix. I think I would enjoy it more as a show, as then I could truly experience the aunties' antics. The cast of aunties totally stole the show. This had the feel of some of my favorite 80s movies: Clue and Weekend at Bernies. If you're looking for a diverse, lighthearted, quick read, this is a book to check out.

These contemporary romance mysteries are everything to me, I've been absolutely LOVING them lately & this book went right to the top of my love list along with Killer Content & Finlay Donovan is Killing It.

With incredible characters, the sweetest second chance romance and a fantastic setting of a wedding on an island resort this book had the ultimate recipe of a book I knew I would love and it did not disappoint. Meddelin Chan and her at times overwhelming Aunties made me laugh so hard, anything that could go wrong did so with spectacular fashion, soon met by MORE crazy antics, hilarious moments and such a fun cast of characters. I devoured this book, and am already so excited to add this book to my shelves when it releases.

& the surprising twist had me SO excited, and that ending made it even more worth all of the moments leading up to it. This book was the perfect blend of love, family and mystery, I need ALL the books like this one, all the time, I cannot wait to see what Jesse Q. Sutanto writes next!

A MUST read, thank you so much to Berkley publishing + NetGalley for providing me an eARC in exchange for my personal thoughts.

THIS BOOK WAS SO FUCKING FUNNY. How the hell did the author manage to make something so morbid so entertaining??? 😅

The only thing I didn't enjoy about this book was the insta-love and how too in-love the two characters involved in were, even though they'd been separated for years. But then again readers are kinda warned right at the beginning. The first chapter's commentary is :

"There might be insta-love and also someone might die. We'll see."

These commentaries or whatever they're called were so entertaining 😂👌I can guarantee you will LAUGH OUT LOUD while reading this book.

I loved the family relationships, the mother and aunts were SO hilarious and it's obvious they deeply care for one another even if they're constantly bickering. Also what happens when your mom (who doesn't really understand the younger generation's way of texting) tries to set you up. Yup. Oops. 😂💦🍆

ALSO it was so great to read a book with Asian parents who support an artistic career path for their child, instead of pushing for some high profile careers (like medicine or law)

AND even through all the morbidity and hilarious mess, I loved how the main character discovered herself and grew through it all.

P.S. The groom. Jesuuuuus I hate the guy lol (it's the point).

This book reminded me of Crazy Rich Asians in some ways, like because of the lavishness of the wedding, drama, and the importance of family. So if you loved that one, you'll definitely love this book 🙌

Let me start off by saying , that if you like soap operas you will probably love this story . It’s equal part unbelievable and entertaining, this would make a really great movie. It’s a story that’s a bit ridiculous , so don’t over think or over analyze , it’s fiction, it’s a novel. Enjoy .
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Basically, our main Meddy accidentally kills a guy and then her family helps her cover it up, all while trying to pull off a wedding. Y’all, it’s quirky, frustrating , and a fun quick read.

Thanks to the publisher to my gifted copy.

Flew through this cute but different Murder rom com? The characters were hilarious, the plot was engaging!

This romcom — about an Indo-Chinese wedding photographer who accidentally kills her blind date and enlists the help of her mom and three meddling aunties to cover it up — had me in stitches! I laughed so hard and enjoyed every moment of the story.

What you’ll find in Dial A For Aunties:
🎂 big family drama,
🌿 plenty of shenanigans,
📱 a strong dose of hilarity
🥰 ... and a heartwarming story of appreciating family
💝 (with a lighter romance element).

I think fans of My Big Fat Greek Wedding would really enjoy it. Loved the nods to the author’s Indo-Chinese background, as mentioned in the author’s note that prefaced the book. I’ve been reading a lot of darker stories lately, and while they’ve been great, it was refreshing to binge this addictive romance. Huge thank you to Berkley Romance & Berkley Pub for providing a free e-galley of the book! Out April 27!

As someone with a large family, and lots and lots of aunties, this one was A RIDE. Utterly fun and entertaining the whole read through. I will say that you do need a certain measure of suspended disbelief when reading this, since it's pretty out there. There was also a point where this book was going to way too many directions, and Sutanto needed to bring it all back in before the end, but it's a light one and if you are looking for a lighter, zany read, this is a solid choice for you!

This was a fun novel about family and Chinese Indonesian culture. I'm going to review it for the Asian Review of Books closer to the publication date, so it will appear on that site in late April.

At one point whilst reading Dial A for Aunties, I said to myself, “Self. You are one sick cookie for laughing at the description of a dead man being carted around in a cooler by a bunch of middle-aged Chinese-Indonesian women.” However, Jesse Q. Sutanto makes it impossible to keep a straight face in this gorgeous mashup of cozy mystery/romcom/second generation immigrant experience. The poignant foreword to this book packs a punch and stays with me still, as Sutanto explains the dialect used by the aunties in the novel. “I’m aware while writing this that I’m straddling a very fine line between authenticity and stereotype, and it’s my hope that this book defies the latter.” Indeed, it does. Meddy, the heroine of the book, has a lot on her plate. She accidentally kills a blind date, is dealing with unspoken resentment at the cultural expectations of her mother and aunts and has just run into the love of her life who she let get away after graduating college. Most of this occurs against the backdrop of an elaborate Chinese-Indonesian wedding and an attempted robbery. If it sounds banana pants, it is, in the best way possible. This book is so much fun – five stars all the way.

I went into this book not being totally sure what I was in for. What I got was a hilarious and unique romantic comedy, heavy on the comedy, that had me laughing throughout. It had an element of murder mystery, family drama, and a little love story sub plot.

The story follows Meddelin (Meddy) Chan, a Chinese-Indonesian woman who is a wedding photographer in the family business with her mom and Aunties. Meddy gets set up on a blind date with someone who turns out to be actual human garbage. They get into an accident and when she comes to, he is dead. She panics and goes to her mom and aunties for help. What ensues is the most ridiculous and hilarious adventure to dispose of a body, which goes awry in every way possible.

There is also a love story at play when Meddy’s college boyfriend, A.K.A., the one that got away, unexpectedly makes a return to her life. It just happens at the worst time possible, when she is trying to, you know, dispose of the body of a man she accidentally killed.

I loved this book so much. I was so invested in this family. The way Meddy relates to her parents and Aunties is so sweet and funny. The way the aunties relate to each other, the hierarchy at play, it’s just pure comedy. I also love that there is this deep dive into Chinese-Indonesian culture, which was so interesting.

Okay, so within the first few chapters it's very clear that this book is going to be a ride. And it totally was. Pure entertainment, with a dead body and everything. I pretty much tore through it. However, I'm having trouble rating it higher, purely because of the ending. Sutano had so many plots going in so many directions, and it was great, but all of a sudden the book was ending, and everything needed to come together... and it did? But not in a way that was satisfying to me. If you're looking for a rollicking good time with a dash of family drama and some Weekend at Bernie's shenanigans, this is definitely the book for you, despite my discontentment with the ending.

It's pretty much impossible to categorize 'Dial A for Aunties': it's a family comedy, a romance, a murder farce, and a few other things too. For the most part, though, these odd ingredients all mix together into a funny, wholly original book. The premise is pretty simple: Meddy, a single woman, gets set up on a blind date by her meddling family, has a terrible time, and accidentally winds up with her date dead in the driver's seat of her car. Her mother and aunts try to help her hide the body, during a weekend wedding they've been hired for, and that's where things really go off the rails.

This isn't necessarily a book with huge, deep character arcs; it's a lightning-fast crime farce, packed with twists and turns. In some ways, it feels almost theatrical: you can almost imagine sets changing and actors whipping around as the scenes careen from one darkly comic complication to the next. It's surprisingly light, for a book whose inciting incident is death. Although we really don't get to know most of the characters very well, it's an entertaining and delightful comedy that surprises you on every page.

3.5, rounded up. I requested this thinking it would be more of a romance, but once I realized that this was a madcap Weekend-at-Bernies-esque adventure with Meddy and her four aunties, I went along for the (quite enjoyable) ride. It starts off a little rocky and, well, darker than I was expecting (see: murder in the synopsis), but once the setting moves to St. Lucia the pacing really takes off. I loved seeing the family dynamics and Chinese-Indo cultural elements play out, plus there is a bit of romance interspersed throughout--so, I wasn't totally off base.

OMG, this book was everything. Not quite a romantic comedy though there is a romance and SO MUCH comedy. I don't even know how to describe Dial A for Aunties in terms of genre, but adjectives I'd use are unique, fresh, hilarious, original, heart-tugging, uproarious, fantastic. Meddy, her mom, Big Auntie, Second Auntie, and Fourth Auntie were such great characters with snappy dialogue and a whole lot of love, and Nathan was perfection. The inside matches the cover: bright, tempting, and delicious. Don't take my word for it, READ IT.

Thanks to the publisher for the eARC.

This was an extremely funny book. There were many moments that I giggled out loud to myself.

After Meddy accidentally kills her blind date, she must figure out what to do. She tells her mother who tells her three aunts. They come up with a plan, but of course nothing goes the way they expect. And just to add another element, they are trying to pull things together while they’re vendors at a big wedding weekend.

I really enjoyed the relationship between Meddy and her family. The way the Indi-Chinese extended relations and the expectations were portrayed well. This comes from the author writing what she knows.

A lot of this story gave me Crazy Rich Asians vibes. Just add a dead body and you have Dial A For Aunties.

An accidental murder, a bunch of meddling Aunties, and a major emoji translation gone wrong! Finlay Donovan meets Crazy Rich Asians in this hilarious debut novel.

I was SO excited to receive an ARC of this book. I love a good murder comedy hybrid and while I don’t have any Asian aunties, I have several Jewish mothers and can appreciate a lot of similarities (minus the language barrier!).

I’ve got to be honest, the plot here is kind of absurd, and not even slightly based in reality. There were a lot of “WTF” moments for me throughout the book, but especially towards the end when “law enforcement” (and I use that term loosely) became involved.

….BUT I still *thoroughly* enjoyed reading this book and found myself cracking up a TON.

I think this will be a hit for many of readers. It’s so unique and a fun, easy read that will make you laugh and forget about reality for a few hours. Also, I don’t say this about many books, but this would make a fabulous movie!

3.5/5 stars
5/5 giggles

Family guilt. A gorgeous resort. Millionaire families. A wedding. A lost love. And a dead man.
Meddy fell in love as a freshman- Nathan was her best friend before they both realized they were into each other.
At graduation, Nathan is offered his dream job. Meddy's aunties and mother just started a wedding business- with her as the photographer. Bravely Meddy breaks up with Nathan - only to mourn her loss.
Four years pass by - her family's business is hired for the wedding of the year - a bride and groom from crazy wealthy families.
The night before, Meddy's mother confesses she created an online dating profile, posing as Meddy. She made a date to finally meet charming, Jake.
Meddy agrees to the date. Only ending up with a dead Jake. Meddy goes home - Meddy, aunties, mother struggle to hide the body.
Add in family guilt. Her lost love on the scene again. Family guilt. Wealthy clients. And chaos.
Enjoyable, hilarious and sweet. Highly recommend.

I love books that feature older characters like The Thursday Murder Club and The Lager Queen of Minnesota. I also love The Golden Girls. This story revolves around a tight knit Chinese American family rallying around one of their own during a time of crisis. You would think it would be serious but it had me laughing out loud. The book is a quick read and highlights the quirky awesomeness of each of the aunties. I was so excited to hear Netflix is interested!!!!

DIAL A FOR AUNTIES is super cute, fun, and very sweet. Think Clue, Weekend at Bernie’s, & The Princess Bride but make it Chinese-Indonesian. Absolutely delightful. Pre-order it for its April release. The romance elements were so cinematic and more swoon-inducing than steamy. I loved this book.