Well, this is unfortunate.

When I saw Jesse Q. Sutanto was writing a fake-dating story set in Indonesia, I immediately added it to my TBR. I had high hopes for Well, That Was Unexpected. loved her Dial A series and was excited to read about one of my favorite tropes while learning about a country I've always been interested in. When I actually read it, it was a bit of a letdown. Don't get me wrong, it was an enjoyable book; unfortunately, it didn't completely wow me the way I thought it would.

We'll start with the bad news first. Partially because I want to get it out of the way and partially because it reflects my overall impression of Well, That Was Unexpected. I personally found the opening chapters a little bit grating. I don't know what exactly Jesse Sutanto was going for. Like was trying to be sex positive? Trying out some new jokes? Both? Whatever it was, it just felt a lot of crass humor, and that's just not my thing. I get that this is totally a preference thing, but I was three chapters in and already a little turned off by the story. The second thing that threw me off was, of all things, the catfishing. To be fair, this is another personal preference, but I 1) had only read the synopsis on the deal announcement and didn't realize it was a thing and 2) have only read Sutanto's Aunties books. I know she's published like five books in the past two years, and I loved the catfishing scene in Dial A, but seeing the plot used again in Well, That Was Unexpected felt derivative. I don't know if it was my "been there, read that" attitude or if it was the way it was written, but the whole catfishing joke just fell flat for me.

Unfortunately, I have similar sentiments about the story as a whole. I hate to make comparisons, but the book wasn't as lively as the Aunties series. The plot was simplistic, the characters were underdeveloped, and the story as a whole just felt watered down and average. I remember looking down at my reading progress and being shocked that I was already 40% through the book. Everything just happened so quickly. The overall pacing was rushed, and moving through the chapters felt more like jumping from point to point in an outline instead of smoothly progressing though a story. The actual story definitely had promise; I just think it needed to be developed and enhanced more. I'm hoping some of these issues will be addressed before the final publication because I got the sense that the version we got in the e-galley was still in the middle of being edited. There were a lot of moments that felt unnecessarily redundant. Phrases like "maybe I did inherit a dramatic streak" or entire moments like Sharlot and George's conversation about why he froze during the first interview were placed close enough together that gave me a jarring sense of (what I'm assuming was unintentional) deja vu.

The last two issues I had with Well, That Was Unexpected are, again, more on preference end of the spectrum. One is relatively minor, but some of the humor just did not work for me. I don't really know what else to say other than the fact that some of the jokes weren't funny to me. My second complaint is a bit more substantial. In general, it felt like Sutanto was trying so hard to be progressive it got in the way of the storytelling and was a bit off-putting. I'll admit soapbox stories are one of my pet peeves, but I think that even if you were to look at the story objectively, you'd find that too much time is spent moralizing and not enough time is spent developing the story. (Excuse me while I get on my soapbox for a bit, but) it's one thing to have a point you want to get across, but it's an entirely different thing to shove the aforementioned point down your readers throats, and in this case, Sutanto, unfortunately, falls prey to the latter. Her personal agenda is obtrusive and very much in your face. Sutanto takes shots at toxic masculinity, big corporations, and heteronormitive standards, and Idonesia's conversative culture, so it's no surprise there isn't much room left for developing the actual story. Sharlot reads like a total SJW--and not a particularly interesting one at that. Her passion for these issues feels tepid at best, and it almost feels like she's just regurgitating party lines because she's a woke American (albeit an ugly and ignorant one when it comes to her initial bias related to Indonesia.) Look, authors are allowed to have their own opinions and write whatever they want, but if you're going to write a treatise on everything that's wrong in society, at least weave it into your narrative and write an interesting story.

Now for the good parts. When I got past the cringe humor, there were some moments that were ridiculously hilarious. The fictional tour around Indonesia did not disappoint. I also loved the mother-daughter relationship and Sharlot's journey of learning to understand and appreciate her culture. The immigrant parent-child dynamic was definitely the highlight of the story, and I would've loved to see Sutanto delve deeper and explore it even more.

I have been wanting to read this authors other book Dial A for Aunties and now after reading this, I might just pick up that book as well. I enjoyed the writing style and was unable to put the book down. I also love the cover of this book. It is so colorful and fun.

What an adorably fun YA book! I have enjoyed Jesse Q. Sutanto’s previous work but wasn’t sure how her style of writing would translate into the YA genre. Let me just say, IT WORKS! Her usual humorous and charismatic dialogue’s flowed effortlessly and the personalities of each character jumped off the page.

I loved the storyline and felt it was unique and entertaining. The relationship between the two main characters is so sweet and endearing. Also, who doesn’t love a fake relationship trope!

Overall this is a delightful story that is sure to capture the heart of all! Thank you to the publisher for letting me read an advanced copy of this book!

What a very cute, funny romance. I wouldn’t recommend it for for younger teens as there are some sexy scenes and language. The characters were hilarious. It’s nice to see a view of a culture from a different generation. Easy, beach read for sure.

Thank you to NetGallery and the publisher for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

If you've read the "Dial A for Aunties" series then you can expect to enjoy this YA book. Similar to "Dial A for Aunties" you can expect that the MC to be an Asian American, that the MCs will have ridiculous or misspelled names (Sharlot and George Clooney), and the story to revolve around the concept of family (fewer aunties involvement in this one, but still centered around family).

Even though I'm in my twenties and older than the target audience for this YA book, I honestly enjoyed this book even more than the "Dial A for Aunties" series. The book starts out with a hilarious situation where teenage MCs get caught in compromising situations by their parents - Sharlot (American MC) gets taken against her will to Indonesia for the summer because she was caught nearly having sex with her boyfriend and George Clooney (Indonesian Billionare) getting caught masturbating by his dad. To ensure that their children find the right kind of romantic partner, Sharlot's mother and George's father strike up a conversation online, pretending to be their children.

I also really enjoyed the little tibits about the culture, the foods, and the attractions that could be found in Indonesia. It's a really great summer read that's funny and set in a now dream travel destination.

The first 10% of this was really slow for me and largely uninteresting and awkward. However, once everyone was in Indonesia, the story picked up quickly and was adorable. I think it had a really great plot and the ending was absolutely perfect, especially since everything wasn’t tied up with a neat little bow. Really great read, as an adult or a teen. Does mention sex, but really enforces consensual, safe, and having an understanding partner are key. Discussed, but does not occur in the book.

If you’ve read any Jesse Q. Sutanto books, you already know that her books start out with hilariously crazy situations and have lovable characters. Well, That Was Unexpected is about Sharlot (our mc) who is caught by her mother in an unideal situation. After her mother catches her trying to hook up with her boyfriend, in their California home, she is moved to their native Indonesia for the summer. In Indonesia, George is caught in his own mortifying situation by his father; I mean, he’s a teenage boy so we can’t really judge him for that little mishap. I did almost die of second-hand embarrassment on behalf of the two teenagers.

Sharlot doesn’t know much about her Indonesian culture and doesn’t feel like she fully fits in anywhere. George is the only male heir in the famous Tanuwijayan family. He feels pressure to do things perfectly for his family and join their business. Set in beautiful Indonesia: Sharlot and George meet, discover new parts of themselves, and learn amazing lessons surrounded by the love of their meddlesome (but well-meaning) family members.

This book was absolutely delightful. It’s filled with heartfelt moments, hilarious situations (seriously laughed so hard at certain parts), and a sweet love story. I also enjoyed the descriptions of Jakarta and Bali; I haven’t been to Indonesia in years and am dying to go back.

Well, That Was Unexpected is the third Jesse Q. Sutanto book I’ve read, and I will continue to be a fan of her writing. Her books are the type of feel-good stories that make me smile until my face hurts. I was really excited about this book, and it absolutely delivered everything I wanted from a romcom set in Indonesia. I recommend this book with all of my heart, and I cannot wait to read what she writes next.

She is literally the only author that is actually able to make laugh out loud with her character’s antics. Any book she writes, will read! She is extremely relatable and appeals to all the children of immigrants. 10/10

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me an advanced reader's copy of this YA novel.

I had read the author's adult novel, "Dial A for Aunties" and loved the shenanigans in it. Since I really enjoyed it I was curious to see if she could write a really good laugh out loud YA novel. She did not miss the mark at all. I thoroughly enjoyed the escape to the setting on Indonesia in this one and experiencing it through our main protagonist. Let's just say I now want to try an avocado coffee!

I would definitely recommend this to not only young readers but adults too. A great laugh out loud novel that has really no risque behavior so I think even mature middle grade readers could handle the content. It's a story with the fake dating trope and full cast of family characters to provide lots of laughs!

I haven’t read this author before, but now I definitely need to go back and read her other stuff.

This was a fun and easy read, and it had me laughing out loud so many times! I LOVE that the author wrote about her own culture. This book is definitely written from a place of fondness and experience. I learned SO much about Indonesia and about the Chinese-Indonesian culture and family-really really interesting and unique. I love when books are written as a love letter to a location, and I felt that way about this book and Indonesia-it certainly made me want to visit (and get avocado coffee!!!)

The plot was honestly a little silly, but it brought me an insane amount of joy. Generally, a sweet, no-angst story!

I was given an ARC by NetGalley and Random House Children's. All opinions are my own.

This book was ADORABLE! I really enjoyed it! It hooked me from the very beginning and kept me hooked the entire time.

I received a complimentary copy of this book for review from Random House Children's and Delacorte Press. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Rating: 4.5 stars

Oh boy, this was fantastic. I flew through this book. In true Jesse Sutanto fashion, it was hilarious, full of hijinks and family meddling. The parents catfishing each other? Brilliant. The setting? Amazing. ELEANOR ROOSEVELT? I can't.

If I had one criticism, it would be that the read was almost too quick. I would've liked to see more time dedicated to developing Sharlot and George's relationship, as well as Sharlot reconnecting with her Indonesian roots. I also think that the miscommunication went a bit too far. It should've been a red flag that Sharlot spent her entire life in the US, but her messages (really, her mom's messages) were in broken English.

Regardless, I highly recommend this one!

I was not sure what i would think about this book--Dial A for Aunties was fine, but i didn't LOVE it and didn't know how JQS's writing would translate to YA. But! I really liked it, except for the conflict which felt RIDICULOUS. But the fake dating part--fun! The cross-cultural experience and realizing you were totally a jerk who viewed through US-centric lenses--great! The families getting up in everything and having their own side plots--why not! If the conflict were better, this would have been 4.5 stars--as it was, it almost pulled it down to 3.5. It felt like the conflict could have just been the public humiliation and then some family parts of it without having to have the weird hypocrisy. That said! I liked this and think it's worth reading for sure. It could be a good addition to a HS library bc there isn't much YA fiction based in Indonesia with a US connection that i know of (though this isn't my area of expertise! It feels like a nice learning/story balance).

Coming of age and finding your roots, importance of family and heritage
Fun rom-com featuring two teens who are thrown together because of parental interference and a dating app.
Sharlot, from LA, is caught with her boyfriend and quickly whisked to Indonesia for a "break." George, who lives in Indonesia, is caught in a compromising position by his father and sister. Both parents start chatting on a popular dating app pretending to be their children. Sharlot and George meet and try to make the best of it, ending up really liking each other. Both characters are relatable and likable.
Lots of information about customs, food, and the people of Indonesia.

This title will be included on OverDrive's Fall Essentials for High School list. and I will recommend it to HS libraries.

In the Acknowledgements section of this book, the author says she wanted to write something joyous that celebrated her heritage and I think she absolutely succeeded! This was joyous to read. Sharlot has been whisked off to her mother’s native Indonesia and finds herself fake dating the son of a wealthy family. And it’s somehow all their parents fault! Over the course of the story Sharlot’s relationship with her Chinese Indonesian heritage and her view of Indonesia develops and deepens into something really fantastic. We see both through her eyes and her journey is very special. And as George is the other POV, it was nice to see Indonesia through his eyes and his experience being from there.

‘Well, That Was Unexpected’ is incredibly funny and sweet. I loved meeting Sharlot and George’s extended families, especially the aunties and George’s dad. Jesse Sutanto really knows how to write families in ways that are funny and emotional in equal part. An excellent read from an excellent author!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s/Delacorte Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for a digital ARC of this novel.

This was a delightful YA romance that I cannot wait to recommend to students. It features the fake dating trope and a delightful cast of supporting family characters. It is romance, coming to age, finding your roots with heart and the perfect amount of comedy.

This is such a good romance for YA readers or those looking for a less spicy romance read. The main characters were written well and believably for the ages that they were.

LOVED it! I had heard of "Dial A for Aunties" but haven't had a chance to read it yet but was excited to have an opportunity to read an ARC of "Well, That Was Unexpected". This was such a quick read. George and Sharlot were so believable as characters and the story wrapped its arms around me like a warm hug. Speaking of warm...Indonesia also sounds like a humid warm hug but now I really want to visit!

I love Jesse’s writing! Her Auntie’s series is so fun, I was excited to read another novel by her that was something a little different! This was enjoyable.