Well, That Was Unexpected by Jesse Q. Sutanto is a YA rom-com about two teenagers who are in trouble with their parents and end up fake-dating to appease those parents. Sharlot and her mom travel from LA to spend the summer in Indonesia. George, who is part of a very wealthy Indonesian family, is in trouble with his dad. Sharlot's mom and George's dad and sister actually end up messaging with each other, pretending to be Sharlot and George, and arrange for a meeting. This story is actually really sweet and fun, and I appreciated how mature Sharlot and George were despite the way that their relationship started. Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

For the record I was not aware that this was YA and not NA/A until I read it.

That being said, the FMC is a teenager and I am not so I have found her much more frustrating and it kind of ruined the whole vibe I had.

I had heard this was basically Crazy Rich Asians with a fake dating plot and that sounded awesome.

I loved that this was set in Indonesia.

It was sweet, but not the best. I really enjoyed Dial A For Aunties, but this feel a little short. The characters were okay but I didn’t fall in love with them like I usually do in romances. It’s just and I support the representation, but it was a small let down

I wasn't a fan of Crazy Rich Asians, but this book is like the YA version of it, and yet, it was so much better. I had lots of fun with the plot and with imagining Indonesia. Alert, you'll probably add it to your next destinations before you're even done with the reading.

Sharlot is forced to visit Indonesia, where her mother is from, though she's never been there and long since lost interest in her family's history, as she never really heard anything about it growing up in the States. Meanwhile, George is also forced to relinquish his phone and through that his teenager sister and father is using his profile to meet a girl, one that sounds very traditional, the perfect candidate to be the wife of the future successor of their family's conglomerate. However, Sharlot isn't the one writing the messages either. 

This is a fun story with lots of curiosities about Indonesia that will keep you entertained from beginning to end. It's definitely one of the good. It was my first time reading anything by this writer, but now i'm very curious about her works.


Honest review based on an ARC provided by Netgalley. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.

Sutanto has a very engaging writing style, and the book was an easy read. It was a love letter to Indonesian culture that could both entice those unfamiliar with the culture to want to learn more, and it could make those who see their culture under-represented in western-published books feel seen. I would definitely recommend this book for high school, due to Sharlot's focus on intimacy. Both her and George are likeable protagonists, and their relationships with the families is engaging. Overall, a complete beach read -- the conflict is never too heavy, and it satisfies those with wanderlust and those who enjoy a sweet love story.

This was a good contemporary YA novel! Overall, I would definitely recommend trying it, if it sounds interesting to you!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

Laugh-out-loud and full of delight. George and Sharlot are characters that make you want to scream "kiss already!" and also cringe at the same time. I absolutely love Sutanto's writing already, and I was so excited to read this one. Excellent storytelling and full of voice. I cannot recommend this fun romp through Indonesia enough.

I LOVED Sutanto's Dial A for Aunties so I was excited to jump into this YA romcom! Especially with fake dating as one of the elements. This book was a lot of fun, but unfortunately didn't really deliver for me. I would say the comparison to Crazy Rich Asians is apt, but make it YA and add some fake dating and double-blind catfishing. Sharlot is caught about to have sex with her boyfriend in LA, so as punishment, her mom takes them to her home country of Indonesia for the summer. George Clooney lives in Indonesia and is the heir-apparent of a huge family business. Their respective parents both start social media/dating accounts for them, and then they accidentally get caught on a date and have to fake date and end up becoming a real thing.

I really enjoyed how fun this was, some of the realizations and biases that Sharlot addressed based on her understanding of Indonesia as an American, and the background. I know that books like this often get bad ratings with notes about "not having learned anything" from a community different from the reader's own, and I hate that line of thinking, but I also definitely didn't feel that in this book.

While I think there was Sutanto's trademark shenanigans that I first experienced in Aunties, otherwise this book felt incredibly underdeveloped. There were conversations that happened several times, with no acknowledgement that they'd already been had (to the point that I wondered if there was some secret amnesia plot happening?). I fully own that I am a grown adult reading a YA book, but I have been a teen and my youngest sibling is still a teen, and the dialogue felt like a caricature of teens. When I was 16, I didn't consider 27 ancient. I wanted to BE 27 already. I thought 40 or 50 felt ancient, though obviously I know better now. But it felt very try-hard for me personally. The writing was similarly lacking in polish. There's a piece where Sharlot is sassing someone, and the verb clause after is "I snap very snappishly." Mmm. Is that how?

Anyway, I will continue to read Sutanto's work because I just love her brain, but I think perhaps her YAs are not for me.

Jesse is definitely one of my favorite authors. The three books I have now read of hers have been page-turners, hard to put down, and funny. I don’t think I have laughed this much while reading a book. I always have a hard time putting her books down and devouring them pretty quickly.

Well, That Was Unexpected is a YA rom-com. The book is told from the dual perspective of two teens. The book beings with one of the main characters, Sharlot in sunny California. Sharlot is caught in a very compromising situation with her boyfriend by her mother. Her mother freaks out and whisks her to Indonesia. Once there she takes her phone.

Now in Indonesia George (George Clooney Tanuwijaya) is caught by his father in a very compromising situation. Nothing quite like Sharlot’s but enough that it was embarrassing to him as well as his father. As parents, we don’t want to know that our kids are doing these kinds of things. George thinks it’s harmless and it’s what boys do. George’s dad freaks out and removes his phone and computer from George. One thing about George is that he comes from a wealthy family and they don’t need this to come out and cause a scandal for the family.

In both situations, I was laughing and dying and the second-hand embarrassment of the two. Kids don’t want to be caught in those situations by their parents.

Now we know that that can be just the story right? Well, George’s dad thinks to fix the situation he has to set his son up on a date with a real person with the help of George’s sister, Eleanor Roosevelt. Meanwhile, Sharlot’s mother decides Sharlot needs distraction from wanting to lose her virginity. So both parents decide to basically catfish each other and pretend to be the kids. As I was reading their text exchanges I knew it was adults speaking and not teens. They were fun to read. But what will Sharlot and George think once they find out?

What will happen when the teens meet face to face? Let’s just say it’s not going to be easy at first but what happens next turns out to be a beautiful thing for all those involved.

I loved how Jesse made you feel like you were there with her writing of the setting and food. It’s always nice to learn a little something about where the book is taking place. I even googled some images to make it feel like I was there.

This is a funny and heartwarming rom-com! I usually don't like reading rom-com, the humor part usually doesn't satisfy me. But this one was very entertaining! I've heard a lot about this author, but this is the first book I read by Jesse. And I'm definitely excited to read more of her books in the future!

Thank you Penguin Teen Canada for an eARC from NetGalley.

4.5 stars

This book was hilarious! Right from the beginning I was laughing, and the funny moments and situations continued all the way through. The writing style was perfect for the story and the humour. The characters were well written and relatable.
Sharlot and George were awesome characters. The story is told in alternating first-person POVs from both of them, and I liked both of their chapters and voices. It was easy to tell them apart, and I liked seeing both sides of the story. Their relationship starts in the strangest way, and I thought that the author did a great job of developing it. Their attraction and chemistry seemed to develop in a natural way, and I was rooting for them throughout.
The setting of the book was super vivid. I’ve never been to Jakarta before, but I felt like I was with the characters there and in Bali. I also liked Sharlot’s mixed feelings about Indonesia based on her relationship with her mother. It added another layer to her character and the story.

This book started off with the type of humor that comes off a little immature, but as the story progresses it is actually very funny! I think the overall premise is interesting and unique from other humorous romance stories out there. The characters are also super witty and their humor is relatable. I definitely think this book is worth the read.

Well, That Was Unexpected by Jesse Q. Sutanto. Pub Date: September 27, 2022. Rating: 3.5 stars. A YA novel filled with themes of sexuality, love, family, honor and exploring individualities, this book packs a punch with hilarious scenes and wholesome characters. Sharlot is shipped off to Indonesia for the summer after her mother finds her in a compromising situation. George lives in Indonesia and is caught by his father in his own compromising situation. What entails from here is two young people who are forced into meeting and ultimately journey together on a road of self discovery and humor along the way. A sweet story with important themes of identity, young love and exploration. Thanks to Random House Children's, Delacorte Press and NetGalley for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review. #netgalley

A good book. This is different from what I generally tend to read, but it sounded interesting to me and overall it was enjoyable. It was a cute story.

I liked this quite a bit more than Dial A for Aunties. But the protagonists were still a bit angsty and overbearing. However, I will say that the ways she worked in Indoenesian culture and food were really delightful to me!

Cute rom com story. Sharlot is sent to Indonesia for the summer after her mom catches her almost having sex. While there she meets a boy named George and their romance is a whirlwind. Will they learn to love each other or will it end up in disaster?

Jesse Sutano has quickly become one of my favorite authors for comedic relief! If you loved Dial A for Aunties, check out this latest book. If you think your family is full of meddling and into your business - think again - because this family most certainly has yours beat!

Big fan of Jesse Q. Sutanto and will continue reading/buying books that she writes for YA! Many kids loved The Obsesssion and now another subset of students will love this - she writes for everyone. Big fan.I love that this one had a young person dealing with the consequences of their actions, which is very relatable for 14-year-olds!

This one was unexpectedly (ha!) super cute. Had no expectations going into it, but I did laugh out loud quite a few times and found myself really enjoying the Indonesia/Bali setting. Would recommend as a cute, easy YA rom com.

Jesse Sutanto does it again! This book was full of humor and heart. At its core, this was a love letter to Indonesia and I loved it. The setting was beautiful and highlighted the wonderful parts of Indonesia and the descriptions of food were mouthwatering! The best part for me was the complex relationships between all the characters. The only part that bothered me a little was the miscommunication! Overall, this was such a cute YA novel and I highly recommend!