This was such a fun YA novel. I enjoyed Suranto’s books skewed towards an older population, but i truly liked this one!

sweet fun YA read, some aspects reminded me of aunties and i like seeing them play out for teens (why do so many parents catfish LOL) both main characters are so sweet and funny

I can honestly say I have not laughed as much as I did with this book, ever. This was my first Jesse Q. Sutanto book, and it for sure will not be the last. Sharlot's mom catches her in the act of almost having sex for the first time. As punishment, her mom whisks her off to Indonesia, where she grew up. Meanwhile, in Indonesia, George gets caught literally with his pants down by his father resulting in embarrassment and his phone being taken away. George's dad and Sharlot's mother think they are helping their children out by creating online profiles for their children and end up communicating with each other and setting up a date for the two to go on without their knowledge. What ensues is laugh out loud funny and one fun ride. Thank you, NetGalley, for the eARC. 5 stars

Well, That Was Unexpected follows two teenagers who are forced into fake dating each other (wait for it) because their parents catfished each other. I’m not even joking. Our female lead, Sharlot, was caught by her mom almost having sex with her then-boyfriend, while our male lead, George, was caught masturbating by his dad and sister. After finding their children in these compromising positions, Sharlot’s mom and George’s dad both decide that they need to find their child the perfect significant other. George’s dad and sister take over George’s phone and on a whim decide to DM the fake profile that Sharlot’s mom set up to find the perfect boy. What results is a wild ride where Sharlot and George find themselves pressured to date each other, not knowing that the DMs they’ve used to get to know (and kind of loathe) one another were really just their parents bonding over the failure of the new generation.

I have to admit that I just saw Jesse Q Sutanto’s name on this tour and signed up without reading anything about the book. Going into this novel blind was an amazing experience because I had no idea what was going to happen. Was this going to be a love story for the kids or for the single parents? I have to commend Jesse for coming up with this premise because it is amazing.

Usually when a book describes itself as “laugh-out-loud”, I find myself disappointed with how little it actually makes me laugh. With Well, That Was Unexpected though, there were a few moments where I literally did laugh out loud, something that is rare for me when reading a book. Some of the scenes in this book are a bit absurd, and I’m not sure how realistic some of the dialogue is—do people really say ffs out loud as eff-eff-ess or blurt out things like “f*** your mom” without meaning to? Regardless, I can’t deny that I had a fun time reading it.

All of the characters in this book are both likable and realistically flawed. I honestly think I would have preferred for George to be more flawed, because I felt like most of the character growth fell on Sharlot’s shoulders. I also found myself at the epilogue wishing this book was longer by like 100 pages or so. I thoroughly enjoyed the fake-dating aspect of the novel and wanted to see more scenes with Sharlot and George fumbling over trying to be themselves while also being the online personas that their parents established. I did notice that this is listed as book one in an untitled series, so I’m excited to see what comes of it!

Overall, it was a cute read! There were parts of this book that I really liked and got me hooked, and then parts that dragged on. The characters were funny, cute, and vibrant. Some unexpected twists were sprinkled in there, but I found the ending to be a little too convenient. I know it was a happy ending everyone would benefit from, but it just was "too perfect" (sorry if this sounds awfully cynical and pessimistic of me).

I was hooked into reading this because of the concept of two parents setting up the main characters by posing as them on their online accounts was so UNIQUE to me. I found this to be a cute YA read, especially with an emphasis on the focus of Chinese Indonesian culture.

what a delightfully entertaining read! we are following george and sharlot, who are both found in compromising positions by their respective parents. sharlot is whisked away to indonesia for the summer and ends up in a fake dating relationship with george, after their parents set them up in a double-catfish situation. it was fun to watch these characters try to reconcile the person in front of them with the person that they met online and that created plenty of room for miscommunication. i really enjoyed seeing sharlot's cultural exploration as she gets to experience life in indonesia for the first time. jesse sutanto did a great job of making the reader feel immersed in this place, from the food descriptions (yum!) to the architecture of the city. pacing-wise, it takes a minute to get going, but once sharlot touches down in indonesia, it really picks up! this made for a great light read and i really enjoyed my time with these characters!

*thank you delacorte & netgalley for the eARC!

This was such a cute book! I was not expecting to like it as much as I did. It felt like a younger version of Crazy Rich Asians but with real life situations. I found the main characters to be a little young at certain points but when you think of being that age, it all makes sense. I was into every single twist and turn and rooting for the two of them. Highly recommend this book.

The premise sounded interesting (parents accidentally catfishing each other instead of their kids but the kids end up together anyway), but the execution missed the mark for me. The voice, especially Sharlot's, seemed like Sutanto was trying too hard to write "a teenager," and I didn't love Sharlot's character and personality for a good chunk of it. George sounded really nice though, and Eleanor stole the show! But overall, it just didn't do it for me. I would love to read Dial A For Aunties though!

(Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change upon final publication.)

OMG, this was amazing! This was hilarious and touching, so much fun to read, and I loved everything about it. I had to finish this in one sitting because I could not find a stopping point.

There were parts of this book that I loved and parts that dragged on for me. Overall, it's a cute story and I liked the characters. There are a couple of unexpected twists and I liked how the ending wrapped everything up.

The concept of two parents setting up the main characters by posing as them on their online accounts was funny and led to them thinking they were completely different people when they met. It was fun to read along as they truly got to know each other.

This was a very cute story about two teenagers whose parents catfishes them into meeting each other. I thought the plot was very unique, and although unrealistic, it was still very cute. While this is considered a YA book, it was definitely upper YA because of the language and other things throughout the story. I loved that parts were unpredictable and do recommend this one. If you are looking for a upper YA summer vacation read with fake dating, than this is your book!

Thank you to the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Did someone say YA fake dating? With a hot nerdy boy? Complete with family bonding? If you said yes to any of those questions you are correct. If you said no you should still pick up this book.

Sharlot unexpectedly finds herself in Indonesia for the summer after her mother walks in on her in a compromised situation. Meanwhile, George is also caught in a compromising position, but by his father and sister. Their parents decide to do what any rational parent would do and decide to find their children a partner. The parents catfish each other and Sharlot and George end up fake dating for the summer.

I loved this book. I spent half the book obsessing over how much I loved George and Sharlot's relationship, and the other half wishing I was in Indonesia. Sutanto's writing made me feel like I was right alongside them in Jakarta and Bali (unfortunately, I was not actually there, but it sure felt like it).

The side characters were all perfect. I loved their interactions with each other and how they helped George and Sharlot grow. Speaking of character growth, their character arcs were stunning. I felt like a proud parent watching them. And there was some amazing family bonding. All those emotional conversations with parents had me reaching for the tissue box.

I absolutely loved this book and I hope you will check it out.

In Well, That Was Unexpected Sharlot Citra's Chinese Indonesian mother catches her in a compromising position with her boyfriend and immediately takes her to Jakarta for the summer to get her away from him. To ensure Sharlot finds a suitable romantic partner, Mom starts an online conversation with George Clooney Tanuwijaya's father. George's dad is equally worried about his son's romantic endeavors. Online each parent is pretending to be their teenage offspring. Sharlot and George reluctantly meet for coffee and immediately butt heads. Neither resemble the online version of themselves that their parents created. However, George is the public face of an etiquette app for teen boys that is being launched by his family's wealthy business empire and he agrees to a fake dating situation. As they spend time together, Sharlot begins to warm to Jakarta and George himself. This charming romcom is filled with humor and romance and an intriguing insight into the Chinese Indonesian culture.

Whar a ride! This was a very entertaining read! I really liked the starting point of the story with both parents catfishing each other and enjoyed learning about the indonesian-chinese culture and the exotic setting! It really came out of the page and made me crave some real strong Indonesian coffee! I feel like Jesse Q. Sutanto has a distinctive style which is instantly recognizable and while this isn't my favorite of hers, I can say with certainty that I'm pulled in by her stories and always will! This was a fun one!

I loved this book so much is was a fun and fast read for me. I would definitely recommend it to others! Thank you NetGalley for this copy!

I LOVED 'Dial A for Aunties' so I knew I had to pick this one up..... was I disappointed??? NOPE! this was such a fun romantic read. The perfect combination of romance and comedy, FABULOUS

Thank you, @netgalley for my gifted copy of this book.

I have loved everything that I have read so far by this author. This book did not disappoint!

Pick this one up if you like young adult romance + fake dating that has relatable characters, is laugh out loud funny, & is just overall really entertaining.

After reading this one, I really want to visit Indonesia and have a really good cup of coffee!

So, I read this cute book over the weekend. Written by the same author as Dial A for Aunties but more YA focused, this one was just what I needed to make me smile. When Sharlot's mother flies her back unexpectedly, to the homeland, Indonesia, Sharlot does not envisage enjoying herself. But when her mother plays matchmaker and sets her up with a nice boy (George), Sharlot finds herself in a situation where fake dating becomes necessary. Give me the fake dating trope any day and I'm in. Our main characters were fantastic but the supporting characters were even better, with so much personality. If you're after a quick read, delightful YA romance, make sure you have this one on your to read list.

Sharlot ‘s mom catches her with her boyfriend right after they decide not to have sex, but it looks like they were about to, so she drags Sharlot to Indonesia and takes her phone. Only to present Sharlot with an acceptable boy she has been messaging with in Indonesia over their first week there.
George’s dad walks in on him watching porn and changes the screen to a video game before his dad can see. At which point George’s dad thinks his son needs a real girlfriend and takes over his phone with the help of George’s little sister. Together they talk to a girl for a week and declare she is perfect.
Thus Sharlot and George must meet for coffee after their parents have catfished some unsuspecting teen. But the texts their families have exchanged make this seem like a very bad idea. But when they meet up, the two soon realize that the person in front of them is nothing like the texts that were exchanged with their parents. But can a romance really start with a lie?
First, This book made me hungry. Second, a thank you to the publisher and netgalley.com for the pre-published copy in exchange for an honest review. The description of Indonesia and the food is something special. Even someone who not into spicy was getting hungry reading this. The book had me laughing at times, but to be honest I did put it down about half way through to come back to it a few days later. It’s not a book that will keep hold of me all the way through, but it is a good read that will make me want to finish it. I’m honestly not sure how much call there would be for an app for boys to become more gentleman like. But that could just be my own opinion of the American teen boy. It could be a great idea in Indonesia. But I doubt it would go well here. Anyway, I really liked the book though.

3.75 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This cute story was unexpected indeed! Full of laughs, hijinks, and girl meets millionaire boy drama, this YA romcom centered on Chinese-Indonesian culture is perfect for anyone who enjoyed Crazy Rich Asians.

Our story begins in LA with Sharlot Citra. After her mom discovers her in a compromising position with a boy, Sharlot is sent to Indonesia for the summer with the hopes of “setting her on the straight and narrow.” Meanwhile in Indonesia, our love interest George Clooney Tanuwijaya is in PR crisis mode after his father thinks he needs a little less time with computer gnomes and more time with actual people. Shar and George’s parents take matters into their own hands and secretly set up their children. Cue fake dating profiles, major miscommunication, and tons of coffee dates!

This story really is a love letter to Indonesia and all the wonderful culture and sights the country has to offer. Having grown up in the US as half Indonesian, Shar has very little exposure to Indonesia and only knows as much as she has googled. Through her time with George, and the rest of her family, she begins to learn and appreciate the true beauty of her culture and her roots. You feel you’re right there with them at every coffee date and expedition the two take on.

There is also a crazy crew of side characters that add a lot of fun antics to the whole experience. From Sharlot’s very cool and fashion forward cousin Kiki, to George’s bad ass matriarch of the family Eight Aunt, you can feel how much all the family members care for Shar and George.

Although the beginning took me a bit to get into the story picked up quickly and I felt as if I was watching a teen drama on page. The characters are young teens and as such their reactions and behaviors can be dramatic at times but they both had growth towards the end of the book. There is a a bit of texting and online communication as well. I haven't read any of Jesse's other work but I am definitely looking forward to her adult books like Dial A for Aunties. Jesse truly paid homage to her home country and I was itching to look up photos and learn more about Indonesia. Trust me you will definitely be looking up flights to Jakarta and Bali after reading this one !

Release Date: Out Now!
Thank you to TBR and Beyond Tours and for providing me with the eARC in exchange for an honest review.