This was such a cute little YA romance book. I had never read anything by this author despite her prior titles being so popular, but I'm somewhat glad this was the first novel I got to experience.

I was slightly hesitant with the premise of two different parents catfishing online for a partner for their kids, however, this book had a lot of heart and sweet moments. I really did like the dissection of Indonesian and Chinese culture, as well as learning about family dynamics and history. I feel like everything blended together nicely and gave the reader some insight, while also offering a sweet romance book.

The romance in YA books usually does have a lot of shy and sometimes awkward moments, but this one gave the reader a sweet story to root for. Giving them a reminder of what it's like to fall in love for the first time. Such a cute story and I am looking forward to reading more by this author.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.

Jesse Q. Sutanto continues to prove her versatility as a writer, pivoting to YA romcoms with Well, That Was Unexpected. There’s a somewhat similar comedic, chaotic flavor to Dial A for Aunties to the family dynamics, perfectly satirizing the extremes Chinese-Indonesian parents and other relatives will go to in order to meddle in their children’s lives.

I really liked both George and Shar. Both of them of course have preconceived notions of each other based on what their respective parents have presented them as when posing as each of them online. Shar in particular is very disconnected from Chinese-Indonesian culture, living in America, and really learns more about it while staying in Indonesia.

And I appreciate how both George’s father (and sister) and Shar’s mother end up taking accountability for their somewhat questionable choices. And ultimately both parents develop greater understanding of their children, and vice versa.

I also appreciated the frank discussions of teens’ sexuality. The inciting incident on Shar’s end is her being on the cusp of having sex with her then-boyfriend, and while her mother is initially horrified, I like that the narrative allows Shar to reflect on the fact that she wasn’t ready at the time. On George’s end, it was fun to see a boy exploring his own sexuality.

This book is so much fun, and just over-the-top enough without being too cringey. If you’re a fan of multicultural YA contemporaries, I recommend picking this one up!

This was a cute and funny story following two teenagers who get caught up in a catfish scheme cooked up by their parents. There are plenty of silly moments, along with beautiful scenery and a sweet romance. It was easy to jump into this and binge through the book.

My favorite part was learning about Chinese Indonesian culture. I enjoy when authors write about their own experiences with growing up in their culture and feel like it helps me get to see how others live. The food, the family expectations, and the daily life in Indonesia is so different from what I know and watching Sharlot balance everything was interesting. She's raised in Los Angeles so some things are different for her, but she still has a mom who comes from that culture so she's kind of stuck in between.

I didn't always like Sharlot, she could be mean and hurtful to her friends and family. She's also a teenager and I felt like we saw a lot of growing up on her and George's side. They also didn't like each other at first and it was a nice pacing of building their romance.

Overall a fun read with a beautiful setting!

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Delacorte Press and NetGalley for the copy

A big thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for approving me of a copy of an e-arc of this book!
Well, that WAS, matter-of-factly Unexpected. Just can't get over it.

Well, That Was Unexpected was absolutely enchanting! Jesse Q. Sutanto is an automatic buy for me now! I found that the story was so well written, I was flying through the pages, unable to put the book down, pondering what would happen next! My favorite piece of this entire story was how believable the characters were.

The writing is clear and clean, and very immersive. The book hums along at a good clip, but the pacing makes sure we're given time to breathe between plot-intensifying moments. The story was absolutely engaging and the work that went into the settings was noticeable and superb. I felt absolutely transported and I'm so incredibly glad I was able to read an arc of this story

Jesse Q. Sutanto’s latest novel, Well, That Was Unexpected, is a love letter romantic comedy to her home country of Indonesia. Filled with laughs, meddling side characters and picturesque scenes, this is a young adult romantic comedy that one will want to read.

When Sharlot’s mom catches her in the worst position, she is whisked away to mother’s home country of Indonesia. Mom is there for a job, Sharlot is there to measure back up to expectations.

George Clooney’s father (no, sadly not the actor) has caught his son in an unfavorable situation. The only male heir in the family legacy, George needs to change his ways in order to be the face of the family’s latest media application.

Two different parents wanting the best for their children, dating partners included. Two parents who strike up a conversation on a digital dating app pretending to be their son/ daughter. One meeting at a cafe store later, and well, the rest is a wild ride. Will true love be knocking in an unexpected way?

Sutanto’s passion for her latest novel shines through the pages as she describes the beautiful cities of Indonesia through the eyes of Sharlot. Both Sharlot and George’s point of views are interwoven every other chapter to allow the reader to see all “behind the scenes” feelings. While I loved the meddling families and exciting premise, I do wish the story was a tad shorter. I recommend this novel for anyone who enjoys young adult romantic comedies or any of Sutanto’s other works.

Thank you Random House Children’s and Netgalley for my earc in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this book. It was fast paced and hilarious with lush descriptions of Indonesia and Bali. I loved the awkwardness that was sometimes over the top but always entertaining. I really liked all of the family drama. Sharlot and George were both very endearing, and it was so fun to see how they got closer over the course of the book. I highly recommend this read.

This was a light easy read with a lot of shenanigans. The premise of two teens parents catfishing each other while attempting to set up dates for the kids was too interesting to pass up. But while I like the story overall I felt that some of the shenanigans were over the top.
While every character in the book seemed to adore the male MC, George's, little sister, I found her to be irritating and couldn't relate to the way the other characters liked her or overlooked her behavior.
But I did like the ending. The final stunt that George and Sharlot pulled at the end was very cute and, George's sister's willingness to own up to her part in everything that had gone down redeemed her a bit.
If you're willing to suspend your disbelief this is a fun and chaotic read.

Jesse Q. Sutanto does it again. This is my 3rd book I have read from her and she is becoming my go to author when I need a good laugh or a book that gives me the warm happy feeling I need from reading.

Well. That Was Unexpected is about two teenagers, Sharlot and George. Sharlot is from LA. Sharlot's mother finds her in a compromising position. This makes her mother fly her and Sharlot out of LA to her mother's native land, Indonesia.

George's father thinks his son needs a girlfriend. George's father thinks he is doing the right thing by setting out to find George a girlfriend using a dating profile by pretending to be George while messaging a girl. George's father ends up messaging Sharlot. When Sharlot sees this her mother takes her phone and messages the boy back while pretending to be Sharlot.

So many funny and touching things happen to both Sharlot and George and both of the families while they are trying to navigate through these personas each parents as put on them.

I am so glad I got an advanced reader copy of this book. I will be talking about his book for sometime. Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for allowing me to read this in advance to the publishing date.
This book gets a 4.5/5 star rating for me.

I would say that the first chapter where Sharlot got caught with her ex had me cracking up. As a teenager, that must be very humiliating. Next chapters were a bit slow. I wish they told each other as early as the first meet that it was their parents who sent the messages and not them and just fall in love. Idk. It was just a series of push and pull for me and I was like, “oh come on. Say it already”.

It became interesting around 70% or 80%. I felt the ending was a bit rushed. Overall, this was an enjoyable read. Great way to know more about Indonesia. If you want to just chill, then this is it as it is very light to read. Bonus point: fake dating!

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Children's for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Awesome YA rom com from the author of Dial A for Aunties! This book reminded me of an edgier Disney Channel Original movie (which I mean as a huge compliment). Sharlot lives in the U.S. but when she gets in huge trouble with her mom and forced to spend the summer with their family in Indonesia, she meets the wealthy George Clooney Tanuwijaya. Both George and Sharlot’s parents attempt to do a bit of matchmaking via catfishing each other online and the two are forced together. Lots of interesting family dynamics and culture shock in this fake-dating gem. If you’re looking for something light and funny yet heartwarming this is your book- out on 9/27/22!

Thank you to Random House Children's and NetGalley for a free eARC in exchange for my honest thoughts. I have read both books in Sutanto's adult romcom/murder series and loved those, but this was my first time reading a Young Adult book by her.

I was a little worried in the first 4 chapters because I was suffering so much second hand embarrassment (but isn't that how being a teen can be) This book was charming, cringey, and unputdownable. I love that it not only explored Sharlot and George's relationship, but also the bonds of siblings, cousins, exes, and long lost loves. I am a sucker for multigenerational stories and this had that feel while still putting you in the perspective of teenagers who are often embarrassed about their families.

The second half of the book flew by with fake dating, family drama, and societal/cultural conflicts and the last chapter had me smiling. I am giving it 4.5 stars because of the pacing at the beginning, but I can't recommend this book enough.

Jesse Q. Sutanto's stories always have the most insane starting and then lead up to the most entertaining plot unraveling with laugh out loud moments galore! Sharlot and George were both fantastic main characters, but if you blinked you kind of missed them falling in love. That tends to be the case with insta love stories though. The lavish descriptions of food (coffee!) and the gorgeous scenery were a treat to read about and this was just so fun to read!

Jesse Sutanto has quickly climbed to the top of my “insta-buy” list. I find myself laughing out loud and smiling throughout, unable to put down my kindle.

Travel to Indonesia with Sharlot in a coming-of-age rom-com that dives into the rich culture of Chinese Indonesia. You’ll be having flashbacks of your own embarrassing moments with young loves!

Thank you to Delacorte And NetGalley for the ARC! All thoughts are my own.

Why on earth are authors still writing Harry Potter references into books coming out in 2022? That left a sour taste in my mouth and was enough to take this from a 4-star read to a 3. Hopefully that reference doesn’t make it into the published version.

The story itself was cute and if you liked Dial A for Aunties, this brings a lot of that same charm but for a younger audience. It has fake dating, meddling families, and a ton of situational humor. Be warned, it relies pretty heavily on the miscommunication trope.

It took a while to hook me on the story and between the slow start, some repetitive scenes, and the HP reference, I nearly DNF’d about a third of the way in. I’m glad I pushed through, because once I got about halfway in, I couldn’t put it down.

This was a lot of fun and Sharlot and George are adorable. I kind of wished we had seen more of them actually together but I still enjoyed it. I need a novella of them in college.

I received an arc through netgalley.

A young adult romance, set in Indonesia?

Oh yes! I grabbed it at once. And the love letter to Indonesia was such fun to read, especially the lavish descriptions of food (coffee!) and the gorgeous scenery.

Things I liked: the total over-the-topness of George's family. I was laughing out loud at their no-boundaries antics. I also thought the sly not to "Crazy Rich Asians" was a lot of fun. And I also liked the eventual evolution of Sharlot's thread with her mother, even if it took quite a back seat to all the rest of the shenanigans.

What I didn't like: that the story's substrate was based on non-communication. I hate this trope, especially when there's a perfect opportunity right up front for two supposedly reasonable teens, left alone, to just clear the air. Instead, the story has to bang along with contrived ways to keep the non-communication going, when it wasn't necessary. I thought the story would actually have been a lot stronger if the two had been on the same team from the gitgo, instead of the manufactured "fights" built on no one having the brains to just say what was going on.

That said, I loved the other elements so much that I really want to see what this author does next.

Cw: frank talk about teens under eighteen having sex, and sexual exploration. (I thought it well done, but because this is aimed at the under-eighteen market, thought I'd mention it.)

What an absolutely adorable read with a great glimpse into Indonesian culture! This really did seem like a love letter to the theme of getting back to your roots and connecting with family. This was such a cute read, the characters were so entertaining and extremely believable that made this book such an easy one to picture in my head. From the hilarious openings for each main, to the cat fishing parents to the development of Shar and George's relationships this book kept me smiling. While it was a predictable read, that did not take away from anything and it really took me back to those high school years and the struggles of kid versus parent. A fun read for anyone who loves a good YA rom-com.

adventurous emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted medium-paced
Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0

I received a E-copy of this book for a fair and honest review
This was a lot of fun! I don’t often read YA especially romance simply because it’s not for me anymore. But I love this author so I knew I wanted to give it a chance and I’m glad I did. Sutanto is funny and paints such a wonderful picture of Indonesia you can absolutely tell how much love she put into this book . I enjoyed the descriptions of food and culture and I honestly laughed out loud at the ridiculousness of it all. I did feel some of the background characters were lacking and the pacing was a bit off but other than that I really enjoyed myself!

Reviewed for NetGalley:

I have enjoyed Suntanto’s work in the past, but this one presented itself as just okay.

The characters were just “meh,” and the contrived arranged relationship just didn’t do it for me.