Life got in the way and I could not finish the book. Thanks to the publishers for the chance to read the book.

Thank you for this ARC. Unfortunately, I've lost interest in this premise. I think it will do more harm if I read and do a review at this point. I'm sorry for any inconvenience.

Well, That Was Unexpected was a cute and funny story about two teenagers who get caught up in their parents' catfish scheme. The story was entertaining and amusing. You can't help but smile as you read it. It brings back all the awkward moments that teenagers have with overprotective parents. I enjoyed learning about Indonesian and Chinese culture, family dynamics, and history. I also like how accurate the dynamics in an Asian household shown here are, which I can relate to from my childhood. The humor and banter in this book were fantastic. It reminded me of Crazy Rich Asians.

Sharlot and George were both excellent protagonists. They had distinct voices because of the different situations in which they were raised. I did wish the character, and romance depth was a little slower. I can't help but think it would have made a better story. It felt unrealistic that the two got together so quickly and were on solid ground by the end of the book. I almost DNF'd about halfway through. I'm glad I persevered. I wouldn't recommend it if you want much character depth, but it's a quick and humorous read.

It had a great start and the premise seem really good, it felt like it was going to be really funny and lively but the romance part was lacking, I was 50% into the book and the main characters haven't even had a full conversation without other people in it, there was chemistry between them (as we can see at the end) but it was explored to late

Well, That Was Unexpected by Jesse Q. Sutanto is a delightful read for young adult romance enthusiasts who crave a lighthearted, laugh-out-loud story with a touch of emotional depth, set against the vibrant backdrop of Indonesia, and featuring a fake-dating trope that will keep them hooked until the very end.

Jesse Q Sutanto writes such entertaining and hilarious books, and this one is no different! Well, That Was Unexpected is a fun and adorable young adult book that keeps you turning the page. It's full of charming characters, witty banter and a wonderful setting.

I’ve enjoyed Sutanto’s raucous “Dial A” novels about an over-the-top Chinese-Indonesian family full of meddling aunties, so I was very excited about the opportunity to read a YA version featuring the same theme.

The crux of the drama here is the double catfish scheme: Sharlot’s mom and George’s dad both pretend to be their teens, each describing what they– the adults– think are qualities that will appeal to a romantic partner. The result is a boy who loves doing calculus for fun and a girl who enjoys cooking traditional meals.

George and Sharlot end up in a fake dating scheme for REASONS and now the two teens are stuck together for the foreseeable future. The real drama comes in with Sharlot and George knowing what their respective parents did, but NOT knowing that the other parent did the same thing. So there are several moments when they want to confess to the other, but it’s always an inopportune time.

This book is a love letter to Indonesia, with American born Sharlot having her eyes opened to the sophistication of Jakarta and the beauty of Bali, discovering all sorts of hidden charms. This book is also critical of some of the conservative social mores of Indonesian society and highlights efforts to shed outdated attitudes.

I would absolutely recommend Well, That Was Unexpected. I might not be the target audience, but I thoroughly enjoyed my reading experience and I think this book will appeal to fans of Sutanto’s Auntie books. I am looking forward to reading more from Sutanto, although I also want to ration out the books so that I’m never without one of her books on my TBR!


I received a digital ARC of this book from Random House/NetGalley.

This was so fun and so cute! I love Jesse's books that are set in South East Asia the most! Absolutely hilarious!

This is really a hard novel for me to review. While there is nothing inherently wrong with this novel, it also is one that doesn't have a moment that stood out to me.

I think part of the issue was the balance of the hate to love relationship. I want a good long slow burn, especially with hate to love relationships, this almost went on too long. By the time the time that seemed to change, it went from one extreme to the other. They hated each other and then all the suddent they were thinking of each other as something more. This really could have done with some blending in between there that would help make their relationship feel more true.

While it took a long time for George and Sharlot to get past hating one another, there were a lot of other topics that were discussed throughout there were wonderful to see. The feeling disconnected for your history, feeling unwelcome in your home country, homophobia, sexism and so on. Sutanto really didn't shy away from discussing any and all of it. It made it wonderful to see what Indonesia has to offer while not ignoring the problems it has.

Overall, I don't think this novel was for me. Suntato is a great writer and I'm happily going to read other things she's written.

As Well That Was Unexpected begins, the reader is quick to learn that Sharlot and George are each children of slightly overbearing parents who want the best for them. When each of them are found in compromising positions, their parents form a plan. Each of them creates a dating profile for their child and when it connects them, they talk as their children to each other. When Sharlot and George find out, they are both mortified but agree to go on one date to appease their parents. Right away they can tell they don't belong together but because they are seen out in public together, they continue seeing each out. Each time they are together, a new layer is uncovered, and they realize perhaps first impressions aren't always what they seem.

After Sharlot is caught in her compromising position, her mother sends her to Indonesia. She has never been there but, she has family. Her mother left when she was pregnant and does not like to discuss her homeland. Sharlot is seeing this punishment also as a reward because now maybe she can learn more about her family history. I loved the way Indonesian culture and history was presented in this book. I've never been there but it was almost as if I had been by the descriptions. They are so well done! And the food sounds delicious. Oh, and Sharlot's family - her aunties are hilarious!

As for George's family, he is the only male heir of their dynasty. Thus image is very important and once he is seen with Sharlot, he knows he must continue with some fake dating. As they spend together, they find that neither is like who they appeared in the dating app. Their real personalities were so much better than what their parents had pretended them to be. Unfortunately, there is a secret hanging over their heads - each of them know that their parents were the ones doing the talking on the dating app but they don't realize that it was happening the other as well. The secret created a real tension for the book as I knew what was going on, and I wanted them to just tell each other!

Overall, I really enjoyed Well That Was Unexpected. It was funny and sweet and dealt with real issues that families can go through. It gives a perspective of what it is like to be in a country where certain things may not be accepted. The importance of family and familial relationships is also stressed through of this book and this helps creates ways for Sharlot and George to see their overbearing parents/families in a new lights. They may be pushy but they do it out of love and will when asked kindly step back. They might not like stepping back but they will do so out of respect. It's all in the way you phrase things!

So take fake dating, but make it Indonesian teenagers with billionaire trope thrown in and you have this book! To be honest, I didn't expect to like it near as much as I did and this genre is usually outside my norm reading habits.

I didn't love the FMC Sharlot right off the bag but she grew on me as the story went on. I loved how her trip to Indonesia helped her see her mom in a new light and led to them having a significant turn around in their relationship. George, the MMC was so lovable right from the start for me. Reading this book, I cringed, groaned, said aww and laughed out loud. Overly it was highly entertaining and I'm so glad I read it!

Sharlot Citra's mom catches her in a compromising position with her boyfriend, Bradley. Her mother freaks and takes her to Indonesia. Her mother also decides to find a boy on the SHAREit app and talk to him as Sharlot.

George Clooney Tanuwijaya's father walks in on him masturbating and when he clicks off the porn. It was his video game of a badger and a gnome. His dad instantly thinks the worst. He takes George's phone and starts to talk to a girl on the shareIT app. His dad sets up a time to meet.

The date isn't going well and a reporter and his family crash the date. They start to fake date with a secret.

This was a funny young adult set in LA, Indonesia and Bali. I loved the narrators and really enjoyed the book. They talk about the double standards of men and women with sex and there's some LGBTQ representation.

This was so cute. I loved the parents and how they tried to imitate their children via text/email. I am always amazed how this author can write exceptional books across multiple genres and age groups.

Thank you for the advance copy.

Adorable characters. The author is very witty and I enjoyed this cute YA romance. I knew I was not the target audience for this one as I don’t really enjoy YA romance, but this was fun.

This is a really fun book with young characters who have a surprisingly large amount of depth. I really liked their journeys and how their views and life changed throughout the story. The romance itself was cute.

I’m not a huge fan of YA reads anymore, but Jesse Q Sutanto is an auto buy author for me! I’m so glad I did read it, it was so cute!! This book had me laughing the whole time. I felt like the characters were very relatable. I loved the dual POV, I thought that helped make it even better. I highly recommend checking this one out!

3 stars!
I wanted to like this one more than I actually did. It started out really funny but I couldn't get past how annoying Sharlot was. I understand that they're teenagers but it was really irritating. I also feel like this book was trying to be "woke" and I typically love it when they try to be more inclusive but I felt like it was too forced here. The way it was written made some of the conversations and plotlines feel out of place. However, I did enjoy the glimpse of the Chinese/Indonesian cultures!

Such a cute YA romance novel. I loved the characters, which was no surprise since I love Jesse Q. Sutanto's writing style. The way she brings a culture, that I am not as familiar with, to life, is remarkable. I want to be friends with Sharlot and was rooting for her from the beginning, even when she was a bit bratty (we've all been there in our teen years). All of the side characters were well developed. All around, a fun quick read and I would recommend.

I did not finish this book because I could not connect with the characters. I do not think I was the target audience so perhaps someone else will find it intriguing.

I will read absolutely anything this author writes. I mean it. Anything! I have enjoyed every single thing I have read by her. Her facebook page is also a blast! I loved this book. I laughed so much. The romance was so sweet. Sharlot is such a great character. I also love George Clooney. Sharlot's mom pretending to be her and George's dad pretending to be him on a dating app was just hilarious. I love how the author writes the places. I feel like I'm there watching everything happen. I am so excited there will be another book about a side character. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's for the arc in exchange for my honest review.