The Good, the Bad, and the Aunties is the third, and reportedly final book in the Aunties series by Jesse Q. Sutanto. This is an Adult Contemporary Fiction series that leans heavily into the humor. I have enjoyed all of the books and actually feel really sad that it's over.

In this third installment, we travel along with Meddy, her husband, Nathan, her Ma and three Aunties, as they travel to Jakarta to visit their extended family for Chinese New Year. This is the second novel I have read from Sutanto this year that is set in Jakarta, and I love how she brings both the place and culture to the page. You can tell it's a place near and dear to her heart, it feels special.

Meddy was nervous about the trip, as it was Nathan's first time being there and meeting her large, high-energy family. She should've known he would take it like a champ. I loved meeting Meddy's extended family and learning about the traditions they have surrounding their Chinese New Year celebrations. It's at one of these parties that the big blunder at the heart of this story occurs.

An old beau of Second Aunt arrives, bearing a bevy of gifts. Unfortunately, one of them was actually an important document he was intending to gift to a business rival to cement a new partnership. This packet gets mixed in amongst the other gifts and accidentally gets handed out. Once the mistake is discovered, it seems simple, just track down the person who received the gift and they'll give it back. But we all know Meddy and the Aunties could never be that lucky, or simple.

It seems the packet didn't go to any one of the Chan family members. There was a teenage girl who stopped by to visit one of Meddy's younger cousins, and she's the one who ended up with it. The business rival is not happy and serious repercussions are threatened if this document isn't found and given to them. Now it's a race against the clock to clear up this mess before one, or more, of them get hurt.

I thought this was so entertaining. I love the relationships in these books. It's the family vibes. They get me. They drive each other crazy, but they love each other so much and would do anything for each other. I also have enjoyed watching Meddy and Nathan's relationship blossom. She's truly found her person. He's helped her to relax and feel comfortable being herself. He's so patient with her family as well; huge plus.

Determined to get the document back, Meddy, Nathan and the Aunties end up interacting with some of the most powerful people in Jakarta. Their scheming, plotting and overall efforts, OMG, they're so funny. Only the Chans. And I actually think it humbled Big Aunt a little bit being around some folks more powerful than herself. It made me so happy.

As I was reading this, I actually didn't know it was slated to be the last one and I was coming up with a bunch of great ideas for the fourth book: Abi and Second Aunt's wedding, Meddy and Nathan starting a family, Big Aunt rekindling her singing career, etc. Sadly, it seems like this is it. Regardless, whatever projects Sutanto is working on next, you know I will be reading them. She's definitely become one of my go-to authors over the last few years. I love it all!

Thank you to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I'm sorry to be parting with the Chans, but they'll live on in my heart!

Meddy and husband Nathan have just finished their honeymoon in Europe. What could top off their travels, but a visit to Jakarta to celebrate Lunar New Year with the huge extended family? Meddy's aunties are a handful. All these other relatives add to the fun. Things don't go exactly as planned though.
Things go awry after a mix-up with holiday gifts. This set off a chain of events with non-stop action, crazy plans and a little humor mixed in. Poor Meddy gets roped into helping her aunties with trouble involving a long standing feud between business competitors. The aunties do seem to have friends in high places. Some of the names are hilarious. We get to learn more back story about Meddy's mom and her aunties along the arc of the plot.
Nathan has to be one of the most patient people in the universe. He did sort of know what he signed on for from the beginning of his relationship with his now wife.
This series is one you need to read in order because each novel builds on the previous. I was sad to learn this book was the third and final "Aunties" story. It did seem a good time to tie everything up anyway.
Author Jesse Q. Sutanto has written several other novels both for adults and young adult readers. If you haven't already read it, I highly recommend VERA WONG'S UNSOLICITED ADVICE FOR MURDERERS. If you like something with a darker tone, try I'M NOT DONE WITH YOU YET. Jesse Q. Sutanto is a fabulous storyteller. I look forward to future works.

The Good, the Bad, and the Aunties is the 3rd and final book in author Jesse Q. Sutanto’s comedy series about Meddy Chan and the meddling, hilarious Chinese-Indonesian matriarchs of her huge, interfering family.

Book #3 sees Meddy happily enjoying her honeymoon with her beloved husband Nathan, after the disastrous adventures of the previous two books (including corpses, stolen goods, and potential Mafia hitmen). After a few blissful weeks in Europe, Meddy and Nathan head to Indonesia to celebrate Chinese New Year with the family… and of course, this is when it all hits the fan.

There’s a chaotic storyline about a long-lost lover of Second Aunt’s, now a respectable businessman (and definitely not a crime lord… according to him), whose generous red envelopes go astray — ultimately entangling Meddy, Nathan, and the aunties in a convoluted scheme to get back what was inadvertently lost.

Along the way, the Chan family engages in drugging innocent bystanders, invading (possible) cartel leaders’ homes, minor kidnapping, and other nefarious deeds… but always with the best of intentions. And hey, at least this time there are no bodies hidden in coolers!

The Aunties books are silly, entertaining, and not at all to be taken seriously. The Good, the Bad, and the Aunties is a satisfying wrap-up. Sure, it’s all entirely ridiculous and improbable, but readers who go along for the ride will have a great time.

What should have been a family celebration of Chinese New Year descends into chaos when longtime foes crash the party in this hilariously entertaining novel by Jesse Q. Sutanto, bestselling author of Dial A for Aunties.

After an ultra-romantic honeymoon across Europe, Meddy Chan and her husband Nathan have landed in Jakarta to spend Chinese New Year with her entire extended family. Chinese New Year, already the biggest celebration of the Lunar calendar, gets even more festive when a former beau of Second Aunt’s shows up at the Chan residence bearing extravagant gifts—he’s determined to rekindle his romance with Second Aunt and the gifts are his way of announcing his courtship.

His grand gesture goes awry however, when it’s discovered that not all the gifts were meant for Second Aunt and the Chans—one particular gift was intended for a business rival to cement their alliance and included by accident. Of course the Aunties agree that it’s only right to return the gift—after all, anyone would forgive an honest mistake, right? But what should have been a simple retrieval turns disastrous and suddenly Meddy and the Aunties are helpless pawns in a decades-long war between Jakarta’s most powerful business factions. The fighting turns personal, however, when Nathan and the Aunties are endangered and it’s up to Meddy to come up with a plan to save them all. Determined to rescue her loved ones, Meddy embarks on an impossible mission—but with the Aunties by her side, nothing is truly impossible. (GoodReads synopsis)

I have not read any of the previous Aunties novels, but I will go back and do so now. This was quite funny, and entertaining to read. I just don’t know if I would label this particular novel as a mystery. Mainly because the reader has all of the information up front. Its more like a comedy action film.

While at times the Aunties drove me nuts with their sayings, it was clear that the author wanted the love they have for family to shine through, but also that family can be crazy. I wish this wasn’t the last of the series as I want to see what other hijinks the Aunties get up soon. Hint Hint. But I also wanted to see if the new relationships would continue to be involved as well.

Overall, I rate this novel 5 out of 5 stars.

I came back to the series for the hilarious aunties and they did not disappoint! The ragtag bunch of meddlesome aunties get way in over their head in this wild trip to Jakarta for Chinese New Year.

What I wished this third book was more character development. Overall throughout this story Meddy is freaking out and chasing hamster wheel circles of thought (understandably) but I would have liked to see her character deepen a bit more.

But for those who have read for first two stories you’ll enjoy this third installment as we get lots of fun dialogue time with the raucous aunties. The suspended belief is extra high in this story but if you’d follow these aunts through comedy movie-level shenanigans you won’t mind a bit.

If you haven’t read Dial A For Aunties yet, you should! It’s a hoot and my favorite book in the series. It’s very lighthearted and pretty dang entertaining!

Thank you @berkleypub & @prhaudio for my gifted copies. My thoughts are my own.

If you enjoy humorous women’s fiction, I highly recommend Jesse Q. Sutanto’s 𝘈𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘦 series. These entertaining books will have you literally laughing out loud at the situations Meddy, the main character, finds herself in and how she handles her well-meaning aunties!

In the third installment of the series, newlyweds Meddy and Nathan spend the Chinese New Year in Jakarta with Meddy’s aunts and her extended family. Of course, nothing is ever easy with the aunties and soon they all find themselves in a situation that quickly escalates!

I loved the characters, the witty banter, the humor, the chaos, and the family values depicted in this book. I also enjoyed the glimpse into Asian culture and Jakarta! Nathan is just perfect; and, it was fun to see Meddy in the role of an aunty herself!

I enjoyed both the print and audio versions

Check this series out if you enjoy:
*humorous women’s fiction
*strong sense of family
*misadventures
*cute main couple

Meddy Chan and her meddlesome aunties always end up in the wildest situations, but they get through them together. This time, her husband Nathan is more involved, but consistently shows his love for meddy and the aunties as their saga gets wild. This book was a decent follow up but was slower than the others. The aunts all had more of a story in this one and being in their element in Jakarta was a great part of this book. I’m sad to see the aunties series end.

i have read all three of the books in this series, and i have to say - this wasn’t my favorite of the three. don’t get me wrong, i absolutely loved the aunties as always! they have such strong & infectious personalities. however, i found myself thinking that the plot was slower than normal & that it felt just a bit more forced. the other two were some of my favorite comedic relief reads. if you’ve read the other two, then i highly recommend reading this just for the last part of their story. other than that, it was overall decent, but nothing super special. i didn’t laugh out loud like i did with the other two books.

thank you so much to the author, netgalley, and berkley for this copy!

This series just makes me so happy and I am so sad it’s over! Yes, it’s zany and over the top but I love these aunties and their antics endlessly. I’m not quite show how this family keeps finding themselves in over their heads but it’s never ending. Their love for each other, smarts and humor helps them rise above it all. I found myself laughing so much in this and it’s just a simply delightful series. I cannot wait to see this series brought to the screen! This final installment drops today!

Huge thank you to @berkleypub @berittalksbooks @thephdivabooks @dg_reads and @netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

Happy pub week to @jesseqsutanto ‘s The Good, The Bad, And The Aunties!! And a huge thank you to @prhaudio @berkleyromance @berittalksbooks and @netgalley for my #gifted galley and audiobook!!

I’ve loved this series since Dial A For Aunties, and I felt like this last book was a fitting finale for this hilarious and over-the-top crew! I liked learning more about the Chinese-Indonesian culture, and with a Taiwanese husband, I also loved all of the Chinese New Year traditions 😍 Having the option to both read and listen made this story so accessible and I loved how narrator @loverisamei brought Meddy and all of her family members to life!

This book released Tuesday, so get your copy ASAP!!

Short synopsis: Meddie and Nathan cut their honeymoon short to join the aunties in Jakarta for Chinese New Year.

My thoughts: This series is perfectly fine for a lighthearted accidental murder, ridiculous shenanigans, and complete misunderstandings. The first book was definitely my favorite, so definitely try it out for a humorous look at mystery.

I really liked the Chinese/Indonesian rep in this. I think we get a really good look at the culture and the families deep desire to be there for each other NO matter what!

Read if you love:
- Laugh out loud (but somewhat cringey moments)
- Chinese New Year and red envelopes
- Strong family bonds
- Funny Series
- Chinese/Indonesian Rep

This is another fantastic and funny book in the Aunties series. In this book, Meddy and Nathan go to Jakarta after their honeymoon to meet up with the Aunties and see the rest her large family who live there. Second Aunt’s long ago boyfriend and first love, Abi, shows up at the house with Chinese New Year red envelopes to hand out to the kids. Unfortunately, one envelope is meant for another developer named Julia Child, and it holds the deed to a high rise building.

Abi, who’s not a gangster but a legit businessman, needs to get the deed back from whichever kid got the special red envelope. The search and subsequent retrieval sets off a chain of events that’s alternately scary and hysterically funny.

This is the last in the Aunties series, and I am going to miss Meddy and her crazy family. This book is full of laughs and love, 4.5 stars.

Thanks to Berkley Publishing and NetGalley, I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Diving into the latest Aunties novel was a little bittersweet for me. I couldn’t wait to see what kind of hilarious shenanigans Meddy and her Aunties would get up to this time around, but at the same time, I was also sad because this is the final book in the series.

If you’re familiar with the series, you know you’re in for a wild ride filled with plenty of laughs and over the top antics. This time the antics center around a Chinese New Year celebration that goes awry when one of Second Aunt’s old flames accidentally gives her family an extravagant gift that was meant to go to a business rival he’s trying to appease. When the gift goes missing, Meddy and her Aunties get drawn into a world of trouble. Danger, chaos, and even kidnappings ensue, but rest assured that in spite of the danger, it’s a laugh out loud good time!

As much as I enjoyed the Aunties and their antics, one of my favorite parts of this novel was seeing Meddy with her new husband, Nathan. I loved how instead of wondering what in the world he had gotten himself into when he married into Meddy’s family, that Nathan was actually 100% onboard and enthusiastically joined in with all of their shenanigans. He’s just so happy to be part of such a big, loving family and it was adorable!

While I’m sad we won’t get to see the Aunties again, The Good, the Bad and the Aunties was a satisfying ending to this entertaining trilogy!

Over-the-top, ridiculous situations with questionable plausibility may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I'll take everything this series has to offer. Great characters that I feel like I know well at this point, a relentless pace, and an undercurrent of deep love and heart in the story make it one that is fresh and fun to read.

The third book in the Aunties series, this time focusing on Meddy and Nathan's visit to Indonesia after their honeymoon. Since nothing can ever go smoothly, so when they inadvertently hand out the wrong red envelope, they find themselves in the middle of a situation between three business factions who have a decades long rivalry. The Aunties are determined to set things straight and in their usual fashion, end up with very mixed results. Overall, a fun addition to the series and the establishment of Meddy and Nathan as a united force was good to see. It was also interesting to learn more about the Aunties lives in Indonesia from before they moved to the US.

The Good, The Bad, and The Aunties is another win from Jesse Q. Sutanto! 4⭐️ The aunties always make me laugh and the mystery is always a good time trying to solve!

Meddy Chan and her meddlesome family are back in The Good, the Bad, and the Aunties, Jesse Q. Sutanto’s delightful final entry in her bestselling Dial A for Aunties trilogy.

Meddy and her new husband, Nathan, are ending their extended honeymoon with a stop in Jakarta, Indonesia, where they’ll spend the Lunar New Year with Meddy’s extended family. Of course, Meddy’s mom and the Aunties have traveled from America to celebrate, too. The holiday kicks off with a visit from a special admirer of Second Aunt’s—who may or may not be a mafia lord. He brings gifts to woo Second Aunt and the Chans, but accidentally gives away something very valuable, meant for a rival crime boss. Meddy and the Aunties jump into action to retrieve the gift and wind up facing down criminals, kidnappings and rude teenagers in their wildest outing yet.

You don’t need to read the first two Dial A for Aunties mysteries to follow all the hijinks in The Good, the Bad, and the Aunties, but fans of the series will recognize how much Meddy has grown, especially when it comes to asserting herself to her loving but domineering Aunties. They may frustrate Meddy with their headstrong opinions, but they will delight readers with their often unintentional funny moments. All of the humor is top notch, despite the threats of warring crime lords and kidnappings. It’s touching to see how each Auntie thrives during their return to Indonesia, and Meddy and Nathan’s relationship is another highlight. Nathan is as steady and supportive as ever, despite all the chaos. When the book ends, Meddy’s no longer looking back on all the troubles she and the Aunties have escaped; instead, she’s looking forward to her future with Nathan.

The Good, the Bad, and the Aunties is a fun, fast-paced read and a satisfying conclusion to the popular series.

Thus was a fun silly ending to the aunties trio. I’ll be sad it’s over but loved that it ended overseas

All hail the Aunties!

Sutanto has managed to do it again. I think the aunties are characters that everyone with older, overbearing relatives can relate to, whether they’re Asian or not. Having been raised by my grandmother, who definitely had some overbearing sisters, I DEFINITELY identified with Meddy’s plight.

The Aunties are as wonderful in The Good, The Bad, and The Aunties as they were in Dial A For Aunties. Sutanto has an amazing knack for making the Aunties feel like they’re in the room with you. No matter what trouble Meddy will ever face in her life, she can rest assured that the Aunties will be there for her.

While I’m sad to see the Auntie trilogy come to an end, it was a wonderful and perfect ending. And maybe Sutanto will take mercy on us and give us another Meddy adventure in the future. Two thumbs way up on this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Newlywed Meddy Chan is looking forward to jetting straight from her European honeymoon with her beloved husband Nathan to her family’s hometown in Jakarta. She’s excited to introduce him to her motherland, accompanied, of course, by her own mother and her mother’s three sisters, collectively known as The Aunties. Nathan has been so amazing about not only Meddy’s past but also the chaotic and often exasperating Aunties who look out for her and harass her in turn, often in the same breath. Meddy is thus excited about showing off to him the very best of her culture, by bringing him to meet the rest of her clan – who are fortunately much more low-key than the Aunties – for Indonesia’s Chinese New Year festivities.

Things get weird though when Fourth Aunt springs a surprise on them shortly after arriving at their extended family’s enclave. She’d apparently gotten in touch with Second Aunt’s old flame, Abraham Lincoln “Abi” Irawan, and told him that they’d be in town. Abi knows how to make an entrance, rolling up to the house the next morning in a cavalcade of noise, lights and sleek black vehicles. Loudly and publicly, he announces his intention to re-woo Second Aunt. At first, Meddy is as impressed as the rest of her family… until she remembers where she knows him from:

QUOTE
I narrow my eyes as I scour my memories for a mention of his name. When the memory does resurface, it hits me like a tank filled with rifle-toting men. Because Abi is the freaking mafia lord that my mom and aunts had told me about back when we were in Oxford. Abraham Lincoln, the guy who was infatuated with Second Aunt when they were teens and joined the mafia to impress her. Oh my god. Why in the world is Abi, a literal gangster, here in our front yard? I look at the procession of black cars again, and this time, they stop being impressive and are instead terrifying.
END QUOTE

Unfortunately for Meddy, she’s the only one who seems to have a problem with Abi’s shady background. All the other Chans, and even Nathan, are quickly charmed by Abi’s friendly demeanor and generosity, as he lavishes them all with compliments and gifts. But when a gift that was meant for a “business” associate is accidentally given to the wrong person, Meddy, Nathan and the Aunties are all drawn in to help retrieve the missing gift as swiftly and discreetly as possible.

What should be a simple retrieval turns into a comedy of errors that ends up putting them all in mortal peril. Unwilling to do any less for the Aunties who have proven time and time again that they would put their own lives on the line to save hers, Meddy soon finds herself in a series of increasingly comic but dangerous situations. Have the Aunties finally found themselves in a predicament that they can’t use their unique and often perplexing interests and abilities to get out of? What will Meddy be forced to do in order to save the day?

I freely admit to finding the screwball comedy crime caper parts of this series less engrossing than the depictions of Indonesian culture, whether they be at home or abroad. Meddy is the very relatable daughter of immigrants who are convinced that they always know what’s best for her, even when their advice is contradictory from one moment to the next. I absolutely both feel her pain and revel in her pettiness when she decides to go along with her mother’s entirely feigned insistence on not being brought any expensive gifts from Europe, as they would just be a waste of money anathema to Ma’s stated virtue of frugality:

QUOTE
“Yep, we won’t get you anything.” I bite back the smile that’s threatening to take over my face. Next to me, Nathan is giving me “WTF” looks, but I ignore him.

“Good, good,” she mumbles, looking like I’ve just punched her in the heart.

I’m torn between laughter and frustration. My whole life has been a series of mixed messages from Ma, and though I know it’s cruel to trick her, I want her to get a taste of what it would be like for her if I were to follow her every instruction.
END QUOTE

More specific to Indonesia were the descriptions of the mouth-watering food the Chans ate in Jakarta, as well as the rapid development of the capital city. With just the right touch of local and global sociology, Jesse Q Sutanto deftly portrays both the good and the bad of the country, as lovingly as she does of the Aunties.

The series ends with this novel, and while fans will be sad to see it go, I feel that it happens at the perfect stopping point for the narrative. I personally adore Ms Sutanto’s other works, and am so pleased she’ll be able to spend more time and attention on the brilliant Vera Wong or on her psychological thrillers (or even on her Young Adult titles, though I’ve yet to find the time to dive into those.) She’s certainly showcased her versatility with these books, and done an excellent job of bringing Indonesian culture to the world stage. I’m very excited to see what she’ll write next!