This book gave me what ive been missing while I wait for the new season of the summer I turned pretty. Its so cute.

This book is such a contemporary classic for the YA generation. I loved everything about this. The tropes really bolstered the story and allowed the writing and characters to shine through to the point of realism. This was a stunning stunning book.

I regret taking so long to write out this review because so many of the somewhat finer details of the book have left me.

As for the things that I did enjoy about the book, it was the relationship between Chloe and her father. Of course so much of the story is the struggle between the future each of them envision, but I like seeing that they had a strong relationship with one another even as Chloe getting older might have put a strain on it. I liked the platonic relationship that Chloe had with people...

Really the only thing that didn't work for me, was the romance aspect of the narrative. I rate books largely on my own personal enjoyment, and I think something about how the romance was executed left me feeling mostly ambivalent about it all. Partially because I think that I'm just outside the window where I could have enjoyed it, and partially because there were just a few too many things happening in the narrative for me to be fully invested.

For actual teen readers though I think they'll have a good time, and there is a lot to say about the importance of all kinds of relationships; familial, romantic, and platonic in a way that I think they will enjoy more than I did.

Kai Shao (介紹 kài-siāu) is a Hokkien word which means “to introduce” in English or “pagpapakilala” in Filipino.
🎂
Chloe is leaving the Philippines and headed to USC for college so she can become an animator, but before she leaves for the states, her aunties insist on throwing her a traditional eighteenth birthday party. To make matters worse, Chloe’s dad is intent on setting her up on arranged dates (kaishaos) with boys so she’ll have a date to the party. So many awkward encounters leave Chloe frustrated until one of them starts to stand out above the rest, but what happens when she has to leave at the end of summer?
🎂
I really wanted to like this one, but for some reason I never fully got into it. I did learn a lot about Chinese-Filipino culture that I didn’t know about before and loved that this #YA #book was set in the Philippines. I seem to be in the minority on GR with this #novel so give it a read and decide for yourself!
CW in comments.
CW: racism, microaggressions, parental abandonment

I loved this book! It was cute, funny, and I couldn't put it down. Chloe's journey and decision to ultimately follow her dreams was so relatable. I also totally swooned at the romance. Team Jappy forever! 10/10 would recommend this book.

This was so cute and full of culture. I loved the funny banter between Chloe and the boy she ends up falling for. Her journey when trying to figure out if she should follow her dreams was realistic and interesting. Such a delightful book!

#ChloeAndTheKaishaoBoys is a hilarious #YA #romcom about a Chinese-Filipina girl whose family sets her up on a marathon of arranged dates in hopes of convincing her to stay close to home for college... which made for a really fun (and funny!) storyline. Do you love YA books? Do you love romcoms? How about YA Rom Coms?! If you answered yes to any of those, then pick this book up ASAP!! It is adorably cute, funny and heartwarming too. This book is very character driven, and has amazing character development thought the book. I really loved all of Chloe's friends... and her crazy family too.

𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙚𝙣𝙟𝙤𝙮:
• family drama / relationships
• cute romcoms
• coming-of-age
• summer romance
• Chinese-Filipina culture
• teen protagonist
• character development
• bff's brother trope
• bi rep

𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙔𝙤𝙪: @penguinteen! 😘

Thank you Penguin Teen for this ARC via NetGalley!

Chloe and the Kaishao Boys was such a cute and good-feeling heartfelt book! There were so many. moments of laughter (and the LOL-IRL ones), moments of sadness, and moments of genuine excitement I felt for Chloe but also those close around her (I see you Jappy). Mae did an amazing job growing the main character’s relationships whether it be with her auntie and cousin or with the chosen kaishao boys and her best friend Cia (Side note: are you pronouncing it like “sia” or “chia” or “kia”?).

The book and some lines were definitely cheesy but I feel I know what I’m getting going into YA books. I want that cheesiness! Especially when it came to Jappy and his interactions with Chlo. I mean c’mon! The dancing? I’d love to see that in action. #swoon

The only things missing, in my opinion, were:

her full growth potential - even near the end she was still questioning herself and I know it’s because she was young and that’s the point but I would’ve loved to see more self-confidence

and

I was honestly rooting for … one of the other Kaishao boys. I hate that we didn’t get to see how that “relationship” transpired after all or there being a discussion of it - it just sort of … happened what was going to happen with him.

Overall, highly recommend! This story had be BAWLING by the end of it - I didn’t want it to end!!!

I loved the story, the world building and meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it.

Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group, G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers, and NetGalley for the e-ARC of this title to read and review. Chloe and the Kaishao Boys was a delightful read that was simultaneously funny and light hearted while also delivering some serious emotional heft. To me, this story was very much more about family and finding your place - rather than the plot of Chloe being set up on a series of surprise dates by her family's circle. Reading about Chloe balancing her career and academic ambitions with being there for her dad (and aligning with his vision for her future) was so great. I really look forward to reading more from this author!

4.5/5

Chloe is an aspiring animator who made it off the waitlist at USC and is leaving her home in the Philippines to go to school there and chase her dreams. She has one last summer back at home though, and before she leaves her aunt plans to throw her a massive traditional debut party. Chloe's family combines forces to set her up on Kaishao dates and find her the perfect escort. As Chloe copes with societal expectations and finds out where she fits into the world, norms will be tested and unexpected romance will bloom.

This was a really interesting novel with a lot of cultural depth. It did an excellent job of exploring coming of age when you are between two cultures, and how societal expectations can play into ideas about romance. It also explored themes of colorism and the trials of cross-cultural romance, and this all made for a really wonderful read. I liked the way the kaishao boys all fit into the story on their own terms, and the writing style of this novel was gorgeous in its world building and descriptions.

I highly recommend this novel to YA readers! Thank you so much to Net Galley and Penguin Teen for providing me with an advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much to Penguin Teen for providing me with an e-ARC and PRH Audio for providing me with a complimentary audiobook of Chloe and the Kaishao Boys!

Chloe and the Kaishao Boys gave me all of the same fluffy & cute vibes (along with some laughs) thatWhen Dimple Met Rishi gave me. Literally have been searching for the cozy/comfort read for so long & am so thankful that I came across Chloe and the Kaishao Boys! Loved the romance, loved the story, loved the characters -- just all-in-all this book is a 10 out of 10.

I thoroughly enjoyed this funny young adult contemporary novel. Chloe being torn between her home and moving to go to college in America felt so real and I learned about the Chinese-Filipino culture which I knew absolutely nothing about going in. I love reading own-voices novels because I am exposed to cultures I otherwise may not have been. Reading is awesome in that way.

The idea of Chloe's family setting her up on blind-dates was so fun and while I sometimes became frustrated with her family (just like Chloe was), I liked that I could tell they overall had her best interest at heart. Sometimes books make the family the villain, and I liked how that wasn't the case here.

The writing was engaging and fun. I'll definitely look for more books from Mae Coyiuto in the future!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me an e-ARC copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book took me a while to get into but eventually the character relationships got me invested. However I think my fav aspect was that of the Filipino culture. This was a cute and easy read and I think one going to be quite popular

This is more about the family dynamics than the dates and I honestly really appreciate that factor. Which reminded me of a better 10 Blind Dates by Ashley Elston.

I loved this. This was beautiful. The relationships in this book were real and so well developed. I loved learning more about Chinese Filipino culture and Filipino culture throughout the book. I loved the moments we had of Chloe and Pa, their relationship is so sweet. The ending was amazing. I loved this.

4/5 stars

I really enjoyed this novel! It was such a cute coming-of-age novel set in a non-Western culture. I loved seeing the planning of the debut, and the Filipino-Chinese culture set in the Philippines. I loved seeing Chloe struggle to talk to both sets of parents for differing things. I was rooting for her and wanted her to win in whatever way she thought was best.

The only thing that really dinged the novel for me was the romance aspect. I felt like it was obvious who the one she’d choose would be and then the ending between the two of them felt a little too opened ended.

I thought this was an absolutely adorable adventure! I loved seeing Chloe get to know everyone around her, and to see the ways she handled the problems before her. Very fun.

4.5 rounded up

when i picked this up, i was expecting a cheesy rom-com with some coming-of-age elements, but what i got was a story that made me laugh and cry and generally appreciate my family more. this is the first book i've read where the mc has separated parents, and the scenes between chloe and her dad hit me in the gut as a result. all of the relationships in this book are very well done, and though i'm not filipino or chinese, i have definitely met auntie queenie's in my life.

i was expecting more romance in this book, but i think that this book balances the romance and the coming-of-age story lines well. the romance elements were really really sweet and i was rooting for chloe the whole time, but the familial relationshps were the true backbone of this story, and i thought they were very well done.

overall, i'd definitely recommend this to people who like coming of age stories. warning though: if you have daddy issues, you might cry. i certainly did.

thank you to netgalley and penguinteen for an eARC of this book, all opinions are my own.

After reading non-stop Japanese light novels it took a while to get reacquainted with young adult reading hat mode. But before you know it, you can't put it down and you'll start enjoying the weird metaphors and their cringey families. It has a slice-of-life-ish feel and a cute romance that is not contrived. The writing captures the innocence of youth. The drama. The angst. Chloe's dilemmas are anything but chill but you'll get mellow vibes. Chloe and the Kaishao Boys take me back to my roots of Sweet Dreams 'pocketbooks' of my high school.

Being a Filipina I get all the jargon, the pop culture references...everything. Even then, it was hard to empathize with anyone at first but by end of the book you'll love them all and it is like they're all someone you know in your clan reunion. And of course, love Chloe. She seems so unassuming and low-key but she has a competitive streak and a one-track mind that needed a bit of nudging.

Pinoys (Filipinos) have these cliche assumptions of the Fil-Chi community so it's enlightening to get to know more of the family dynamics on a more personal level. There were also a ton of cheesy comical situations thanks to her family but the fun moments were the subtle ones. Like Chloe's memorable line: Shit. Was I on a date?

Kaishao is Hokkien for “to introduce.” It’s when friends or family introduce you to single potential partners. The first kaishao is hilarious. Her family's idea of meet-cute is one for the books. The second kaishao is equally hilarious. I was dying. Well, the last candidate is predictable but it's okay just to balance it out. Japanese light novels have illustration inserts, especially from the most critical moments which would have been perfect for the meetings with the boys. The cute cover art of the book is totally asking for it. Let's normalize more illustrations pretty please!

Debuts are a big deal in my country. And I can already imagine the debut party as a climax in a movie. Calling dibs that this will be your next THE romcom movie after To All The Boys I've Loved Before. The novel is not just about Chloe and the Kaishao Boys. It is pretty clever in sidetracking you. It ended on a cliffhanger and the only consolation is that it has a sequel or trilogy potential. And I'm recommending this not because I'm a Filipina, I'm recommending this because I simply loved it. Let me know your thoughts in the comments.