This sadly didn't work for me. The writing is very surface level and I couldn't keep track of the characters because they are one-dimensional. I also feel like this book was written to be a movie because it is heavy on the action vs any character development. I thought it might at least make me laugh because the premise is ridiculous but I was just annoyed. I also feel like the romance was misplaced here and it didn't do much for me.

funny amazing perfect lovely fantastic beautiful I CANNOT WAIT FOR THE SEQUEL. this book is such a unique experience because it mixes different genres in the most impeccable away. is jesse sutanto my new fave author? probably yes.

How did no one tell me this was “Crazy Rich Asians” meets “Weekend at Bernie’s”? Not to be reductive, but it is! And that totally worked for me.

When I read the description on the back of this book I wondered how Sutanto was going to pull all of these elements together and still pull it off. Well, she definitely did! Each of Meddy's aunties reminded me of my own. Although we don't really get to know them on a first name basis, Sutanto's descriptions of their reactions to the events throughout the book and how they communicate with one another really brings them to life. I love how in the midst of an accidental murder and the wedding of the season, Meddy's mom still takes pride in her daughter's manners and finds the time to serve up some tea for herself and her sisters. Somehow, Sutanto was also able to make time for the moment that must happen for most young adults when we finally realize that our parents are human and have been where we are. They have loved and grieved and survived.

While there are plenty of heart-warming moments, they are often connected to the shenanigans the family gets up to in order to "take care of" the body and somehow still do their jobs at this wedding. These scenes often made me want to crawl out of my skin, mostly because I'm not a fan of uncomfortable situations that stem from lying or deceiving people. I often had to put the book down because I got so involved in it that it gave me anxiety! Once I got about 3/4 of the way into the book, I had an easier time of managing it.

Verdict:
Dial A for Aunties had a lot of twists and I think that's what makes me like this book. However, the cringe comedy within it was not really my thing. I'd recommend this book to folks who enjoy films like Weekend at Bernie's or shows like Schitt's Creek.

Oh. Em. Gee. This book was ridiculous and over the top and I LOVED EVERY MINUTE. It's funny, it's romantic, and it has a murder. What more could you need? I hate to compare to CRA (because not every Asian book that features a wedding is a comp for CRA), but I really do think this is the first book I've read since CRA that I would confidently recommend to CRA fans and not feel that they would be disappointed, with the caveat that it is much more lighthearted. My husband actually read my copy before I did, so I was live-texting him my reactions throughout. This book was such a delight, and I hope Sutanto writes more!

I must have missed the part where this was labeled "comedy thriller", but wow, is that the total opposite of what I was expecting. I was looking forward to reading about this family dynamic but at this point I’m not enjoying any part of this; it's all a bit too far-fetched for me, and the humor surrounding such a serious event just rubs me the wrong way. I think if I had known the tone of the story before starting it, I wouldn’t be having such a hard time with it. Unfortunately, this is a DNF for me at 30%. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this title!

A delightful comedy with a nice mix of romance and mystery. I adored Meddy, her mom, and aunties. While this title may not satisfy those who prefer more intricate (or plausible) plots, it strikes the just the right mix of heartfelt and hilarious. A perfect pick for those who need a laugh or want something to breeze through on the beach.

This book isn't quite the romance I was expecting. More like a women's lit with a romance lean. It was okay overall, nothing super memorable happened in it. I did enjoy the new cultural view.

This book was complete chaos in the best way! The situations Meddy was put in were so unrealistic and so comical! The relationship between the aunties was hilarious! I loved Meddys character Development. I was rooting for the characters as they got in stickier situations. Dial A for Aunties such a fun read!

**4.5-stars**

Meddy Chan works as a photographer for her family's up-and-coming wedding planning business. After completing college, where she did study photography, Meddy couldn't seem to extract herself from her loving, though overly-involved, mother and aunties.

Since the men in the family, and all her cousins, have left, Meddy is the sole focus of Ma's and the Aunties' attention. Her family is cursed. That's all there is to it. When her mother fixes her up on a blind date, she agrees good-naturedly to go. How bad can it possibly be?

As it turns out, bad. Really, really bad. Her date ends up dead. Meddy freaks, as you would, and in her panicked state transports his body back to her house in the truck of her car.

Fortunately, one of the best things about her Ma and Aunties is, they're always there when Meddy needs them and right now, she REALLY needs them. From there hijinks ensue, as the body of her dead date ends up being accidentally transported to the island where the over-the-top billionaire's wedding they are working that weekend is being held.

Dial A for Aunties drew me in from the very start. Meddy, as a protagonist, is sharp and super relatable. I loved her relationship with her Ma, as well as the relationships among all the Aunties. There is such a fun family dynamic throughout this entire story.

I think it could best be described as Weekend at Bernie's with a Romantic Comedy twist, so if that sounds interesting to you, pick it up. I don't think you'll be disappointed! I had an absolute blast reading this and am so happy books like this exist in the world!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Berkley Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I truly appreciate it!

As the photog for her family's wedding business (Don’t leave your big day to chance, leave it to the Chans!), Meddelin Chan handles disasters (drunk groomsmen!) with aplomb. But when a blind date (thanks, ma!) the night before the biggest Indo-Chinese wedding of the year (2000 guests!) ends with a body, Meddelin's mom and three aunties rush to the rescue. A charming comedy of errors.

The following review was posted on my blog (blogginboutbooks.com) on 05.04.21:

At 26, Meddelin Chan is playing the part of the dutiful Asian daughter by living with her mother and working as a photographer for the family wedding planning business. It's not exactly what she had in mind for her future, but she can't allow herself to follow her cousins' shameful examples by flitting off to a more exotic clime in search of her own life, leaving her mother behind to cluck over her disloyalty. Even as she yearns for freedom, Meddy has to admit she finds reluctant comfort in the way her mom and her mom's three loud, overbearing sisters fuss over her every move. When a bad blind date takes a turn for the much, much worse, she knows exactly who to call. Turns out, when it comes to hiding a body, her always-feuding, middle-aged aunties are better than the mob.

Meddy's timing couldn't be worse, however. With the biggest wedding of their career about to unfold, the women have to bring their A-game to the sparkling event. Having a corpse along for the ride is not exactly helping. Things become even more complicated when Meddy realizes her college boyfriend—the one she has pined for ever since their devastating break-up four years ago—is part of the wedding. Then, the groomsmen get too plastered to walk down the aisle, millions of dollars in gifts go missing, a storm descends on the resort venue, and everything else that could possibly go wrong does. A suspicious sheriff on the premises could mean the end of the charade and the incarceration of Meddy and her unlikely accomplices. Can the ladies pull off both a flawless wedding and the perfect crime? Or will they be planning their next event behind bars, wearing those oh-so-unflattering orange jumpsuits?

Ever since I heard about Dial A for Aunties, a debut novel by Jesse Q. Sutanto, I knew I wanted to read it. It just sounded like the perfect light-hearted blend of rom-com and cozy mystery. Sure, it would be far-fetched and silly, but it also promised to be a fun, upbeat romp. I've read a lot of dark, depressing books lately, so I was down for something different. My verdict? Dial A for Aunties is a fun read in lots of ways. The "aunties" are definitely the highlight of the story with their constant bickering, hilarious malapropisms, and misplaced pride. While little about the plot makes any logical sense, it is entertaining in its madcap absurdity. I also appreciated the #OwnVoices aspect of this novel, in which Sutanto highlights her own Indonesian-Chinese heritage. All of these elements combine to make the story humorous and entertaining.

I read mostly serious books, which sometimes makes it tough for me to really appreciate a kooky comedy. So, while I found Dial A for Aunties entertaining, its quick transitions from silly to ridiculous to utterly absurd did drive me a little crazy after a while. By the end of the story, I was very much done with the over-the-top-ness of it all. Even in a screwball story like this, there has to be some logic governing the characters' actions, right? Another thing that tempers the fun in this one is that it's actually very R-rated. I was surprised to find F-bombs being dropped all over the place, as well as a plethora of innuendo and less subtle sexual references. This just didn't fit the fun, cozy-ish vibe Dial A for Aunties seemed to be going for. I admit to going into this book with unrealistically high expectations, which maybe contributed to me feeling (disproportionally?) disappointed in it. Nevertheless, I found myself wishing for a less daffy, more PG version of this novel. This opinion will probably make me an outlier in the book blogging world (which is totally okay), but for me, Dial A for Aunties was just an average read. An entertaining one, just one that didn't turn out to be as satisfying as I wanted it to be.

(Readalikes: Reminds me of the Noodle Shop Mystery series by Vivien Chien)

Grade: C

If this were a movie, it would be rated: R for language, violence, sexual innuendo and mild sexual content

To the FTC, with love: I received an e-ARC for Dial A for Aunties from the generous folks at Penguin Random House in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

I absolutely loved this laugh out loud funny, yet sweet story of a Chinese-Indonesian woman and her family’s antics. Medellin is the only female amongst the children of the four sisters. The nephews have all left the nest, leaving Meddy to feel responsible for the Aunties. When a date set up my her mother goes awry, all hell breaks loose, and you will be laughing along. I highly recommend this unique book and thank NetGalley for the ARC.

I loved this book. So fun, quirky. This takes you on a wild ride full of family antics, good and bad decisions. This book is over the top, but it works. The author's note at the beginning was interesting and gave me better insight to the main character and some of the family dynamics. I ended up listening to some of this on audio and I really enjoyed the narrator - she helped bring the story to life. This is published by Berkley Romance, but the romance is light and secondary compared to the main character and her family. This is a fun, women's fiction version of The Hangover. If you enjoyed the book Finlay Donavon is Killing it, you will enjoy this too.

I didn’t know what to expect reading this book. There were a lot of elements introduced early on, and I wasn’t sure they would come together to form a cohesive story. I was pleasantly surprised. In order to enjoy this book the most, I suggest suspending your disbelief and enjoying the ride. It is difficult to maintain a large cast of characters and Sutanto created and maintained a cast that I adored.

Fun, fun, fun! This book was a riot, from start to finish. Sure, the scenario is completely over the top (think soap opera or tele novella level drama), but that’s the spirit of it, so you just have to embrace the silliness, and hang on for the ride.

Loved the Aunties so much. They say the funniest things at the most unfunny moments. The dynamic between them and Meddy is the most satisfying and heartfelt part of the novel. And yet the author never crosses the line into “laughing at” territory. You can feel the love the characters share and you put down the book wanting some Aunties of your own, to be there for you through life’s ups and downs.

It’s a romp. It’s a sweet family story. It’s goofy and over the top. It’s a little romantic. Exactly what I needed as a palette cleansing, lighten up, kind of slump buster.

Ok ok ok wow !!! This book was pure delight !! I’m telling all my friends to read this :) it brought me all the joy and never have I ever mahbe laughed so much in a book, I’m for real. I loved the aunties so much and I loved our main girl. Who knew a murder premise could be such fun!? I loved that it mixed humor with thriller LOL and romance and family drama all in one book. Bravo! I loved the romcom aspect of it and was really rooting for her and her college sweetheart to just be together, made me so sad she why she let him go to begin with :(
All in all great book! All the joy with it and perfect beach summer read.

OMG I just read the most hilariously funny book. Dial A for Aunties by @jesseqsutano @berkleypub had me laughing out loud so hard I was snorting.
Sutano tells an amazing family story about Meddlelin Chan. Imagine a tight knit family of Asian women running a wedding business, all of them sisters with the acceptation of Meddy, their niece/daughter. When Meddy’s meddling mother pretends to be her on a dating website, just to find Meddy the perfect man, all hell breaks loose. There is mayhem, murder, and a mad rush to attempt to hide a dead body that has accidentally been transported in a cake cooler to the billionaire wedding at an island resort that they are working.
This quirky and amusing book is absolutely priceless. The sarcastic and snide remarks between the sisters as they attempt to hide this dead body at the resort is just an absolute hoot. The sisters cultural language barriers totally make the entire story, and brings a whole new interpretation to comical. And let’s not forget to mention that the love of Meddy’s life, her ex boyfriend from college (who she hid from her family) ends up being at the resort BECAUSE HE’S THE OWNER! Oh my god, now how does she explain this to the meddlesome aunties and her mother?
Just when you think this book couldn’t get any more crazy, trust me, it does. There are twists and turns you never see coming, and yes, lets not forget a bit of sweet romance.
Friends, put your depends undergarments on for this one, because I guarantee you are going to pee yourself laughing.

*It’s important for me to note that I alternate between audio and the physical book when I read. When I picked up the book to continue where I left off in the audio, I have to tell you that I had to go right back to the audio version to finish. It’s not that the physical book was bad, its just that narrator @loverisamei did such a brilliant job with this story and the character voices that I had to go back to listening to her. She blows this one out of the water. Risa is amazing and I give her total props for her reading skill. Bravo Risa. If it was allowed, I would give this one 10 stars. Highly Recommend!

Happy Reading & Be Kind!

3.75 stars
This was my first venture into cozy mystery reading and I really enjoyed it! I liked the rom com moments, and the funny scenarios that the characters got themselves into. I also really loved the family dynamic of this own voices novel.
I'm not sure that cozy mysteries will be my new favorite genre (not enough twists and/or steam for me) but I was still thoroughly entertained with Dial A for Aunties and would recommend it for anyone wanting a fun quick read.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review from Netgalley.

When wedding photographer Meddelin accidentally kills her blind date (yes, of course he deserved it, why do you ask?) she turns to the only people who could possibly help. Her aunties! This book was such absurd fun, I was laughing out loud through most of it. A lot of the decisions the main character makes don't make a whole lot of sense (and no, I'm not just talking about dragging a dead body all over a fancy resort!), but at the end of the day the heart and soul of this book are the Indonesian aunties who, come hell or high water, are going to help Meddy get through this (as long as she remains respectful like her mother raised her to be).

I loved that Jesse Q. Sutanto gave us a glimpse into the culture and dynamics of an Indonesian-Chinese family. I really hope that there are more companion novels exploring all of the aunties and their children. If you like your comedy with a touch of darkness, or your murder mysteries with a lot of humor, this book is for you. The best part is, it's getting a Netflix series, so we are going to have a lot of fun with this story for a long time to come!