Sutanto has created a beautiful YA romance. The characters, the setting, and the plot are all tight and well-written. Reading this, I wanted to go to Indonesia and drink delicious beverages and eat delicious food.

I loved Jesse’s MG Theo Tan And The Fox Spirit and was really excited to read this book. I will tell you that this book was a very far departure from that MG but the humor is still there but from hormonal teenagers perspectives. This book gives us dual perspectives and travel to Indonesia where one lives & the other’s parent immigrated from. The beginnings of both their stories had me in tears (of laughter) and how they came to meet was brilliant. This book was great from start to finish and I’ve recommended it quite a bit as I found it quite relatable (as a once horny teen myself).

Thank you NetGalley for giving me a copy of this book. Again, same day, another late review. Story of my life over here.

Let me start off by saying that I LOVE other books by this author, so I went into this thinking that this was a no-brainer for me and it would be a quick reader with an easy to write and positive review. That this book would be lighthearted, quick and easy, and enjoyable. And while it was was definitely those things, something about it didn't work for me the way other books of hers has.

This couple, I get it, they're supposed to be young teens, but they were ridiculous. I HATE instalove which also didn't help their case in my opinion. But the whole misunderstanding and fake dating tropes in this book were so bad- almost to the point of being cringey. To be fair and give some credit to the author, the ending was adorable enough, but there was literally zero high stakes in this story. Even with the weird way the couple met and started dating, I never once believed that something would make it so they didn't work out, and so there was little to no drama in this book aside from the scenarios they each imagined in their own heads.

I appreciate the opportunity I was given to read this book early and I definitely plan on picking up more of Sutanto's books in the future.

this was such a fun little read!! i'm so thankful to netgalley for letting me read this one early!! if you like sweet and cute characters, then pick this one up!!

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me an ARC!

You know what wasn’t unexpected? Me falling in love with everything about this book. The characters, the romance, and the setting especially.

Jesse Q. Sutanto books have a way of bringing me home. It might be because I am exactly matched to her in terms of culture (Chinese-Indonesian bitches for the win) but something about the combination of relatable protagonists, rolling-on-the-floor crying humor, and gorgeous Chinese-Indonesian representation just makes me feel so seen and recognized and whole.

All those feels from one damn romcom.

First of all, Sharlot as a protagonist was absolute perfection. I loved her personality, I loved her narration style, and I loved how damn ready she was to tell people her opinions. She was a total queen and she managed to own the whole situation (aka all of the plot line) so readily. I am in awe.

George, on the other hand, managed to still somehow be relatable as fuck while being a lot of things that I am not: smart, rich, raised in Indonesia, male. But I still found myself looking forward to his POV chapters, because this story was made for double-perspective.

“Eleanor and I wait for it. He’s going to say something like “privileged” and then go into a whole lecture about don’t I know how fortunate I am to be his son, etc.
“Loser,” Papa says.
“Excuse me?”

Also, can we appreciate Eleanor’s existence? This child was chaos in the best way possible and I wish I had one of her in my life.

And Kiki. Must not forget the absolute icon Kiki. Seriously, if I could be any of the characters in this book I would take any and all of them gladly, but Kiki is my life’s ambition in a single person.

And the plot. Oh my God, the plot. This was a wild ride of a romance and a disaster and Indonesia all rolled up in one beautiful cover. Fake dating for the media? Billionaire love interest? Travel romance? Catfishing? Mutual pining paired with deception? Guys, the PINING.

The parental strictness and awkward romance levels were through the roof and I was here for it.

Basically, Sharlot’s mother catches her in a partially-nude circumstance with her boyfriend, and as punishment jets them off to Indonesia for the summer. She claims that all Sharlot really needs is a proper understanding of her culture - and a boyfriend. A good, Indonesian boyfriend.

Meanwhile, George’s billionaire tycoon family is desperate to protect his image. When his father finds Sharlot’s profile on a dating app (run by her mom), it’s a score. They (as in, the protagonists’ PARENTS) arrange to meet.

The media finds out. So close to the release of George’s new app, the two protagonists on an ill-fated blind date are splashed all over the headlines. Without any proper damage control, they’re forced into a dating agreement. Suddenly they’re caught up in a whirlwind of dates and exploration and interviews in Bali as the big event draws near - just for the press, you know.

Well.

“You’re so different from what I expected,” I blurt out. What I really meant was that she’s so much more interesting than I had thought she would be based on our chat messages. Online, she’s uptight and prissy and all about maintaining a good-Asian-kid persona. In real life, she’s none of those things.
She loses her smile. “Sorry if I disappoint.”

ASLDKJALSDKGHALFJADLGKHAFAJLDJKL.

The setting for this book was really what drove it home for me. I haven’t been back to Indonesia in almost six years. So reading a story set in Jakarta, my parents’ hometown, and then in Bali, one of my favorite childhood vacation places, was just literally magical. I cannot emphasize enough how incredible the setting of this book was.

It was aesthetic and culturally representative and just so well-written. I actually recognized a handful of places mentioned and every time that happened I had to stop myself from squealing out loud.

And I think that even if I didn’t have this preexisting personal connection to Indo, I would feel one after reading this book. That’s how perfect it was.

“I open my eyes again and find that George has taken us off the main road and we’re now on a small road that goes alongside the cliffs overlooking a pristine beach. Wow. This time, my entire body relaxes. It’s impossible not to when I’m presented with this incredible view - the fine sand so yellow it looks like something a child might have drawn, the water a deep sapphire, all the robust tropical jungle around us. So different from the beaches of California. So much more untamed and magical.”

Reading Bali through Sharlot’s eyes was a dream come true for me. Here’s a girl who’s never been to her mom’s home country and is being slowly awakened to the cultural richness of her heritage. I love it so much.

And speaking of cultural heritage -

Nope. Not going to keyboard smash again.

The way this book delved so deep into Indonesian tradition and history and culture was an absolute blessing. I learned so much without even realizing it.

My dumbass forgot to bookmark the page, but there’s this one moment in the book where Sharlot feels this overwhelming pride for Indonesia upon learning about its culture in a coffee shop, of all places. She’s received this little mini lesson about independent coffee production in Bali and she just has this eye-opening moment of realization of just how amazing her heritage is.

I wanted to cry.

That moment was everything to me. I never thought I would read a book where the main characters spoke my language and wore batik clothes.

And I’ll be honest - even if they hadn’t been Indonesian like me, I think I still would have fallen in love with this book.

It’s just so, so perfect. I can’t put into words how much I loved this book. The Crazy Rich Asians vibes and the hilarious writing style and the beautiful descriptions and the characters. I don’t know what witchcraft Jesse Q. Sutanto sprinkles into her words, but it’s working.

Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for the eARC!

I wholeheartedly enjoyed getting to know Sharlot and George in this quirky novel. The absolutely bonkers way these teens end up meeting was great, and I love a good fake-dating story line. The goofy characters, overbearing family members, and interesting look into Chinese-Indonesian culture made this one a quick read. I enjoyed the pieces of Indonesia we were able to see through Sharlot’s eyes as she experiences her culture and her family’s country for the first time.

It was fun to see what Jesse could do with a YA book as I have only read her adult books.

I think Jesse continues to use her humor in the best way to really introduce (some) readers to new cultures, highlight cultures, and show the fun side of her characters in always crazy and funny ways!

Jesse Q. Sutanto can do it all! The ability to span genres is so impressive. As someone who absolutely loves YA romance, this was a really enjoyable read for me! I don't read enough books set in other countries, so I'm very glad I did here. Sharlot and George were such lovable characters. I feel like most YA romances veer towards "cutesy" as opposed to "rom com", so I really enjoyed how many times this one made me laugh out loud!

wow, this book was great! I thought it was so fun. it was a little crazy, dramatic, and out there and i really enjoyed it. I really enjoyed the fake dating trope in this book and feel like it will be a hit with fans of YA.

A fun read, but it felt lacking compared to Sutanto's adult novels. While I like fake dating, this felt like it was Too Much.

3.75 out of 5. This is sort of a YA version of crazy rich Asians. Although a tad far fetched, the premise of both parties being catfish made for some great family dynamics. I really enjoyed all the antics around them, i just never completely rooted for them as a couple - until the end. The end is great. Total empowerment moves! Also how can you not enjoy a book where the main character is called George Clooney. I am beginning to think they are competing with the best of our latin names like USNAVY and Leidy. Extra bonus points for the fabulous descriptions of Indonesia, makes me want to jump on a plane and check it out myself.

I had heard great things about this author’s adult books so I was excited to try this one out! Unfortunately I found the beginning very abrupt and awkward which made it hard to get into the story at first. From there the plot did get a bit better but I wish that we could have had more character development. The concept of the plot was intriguing but could have used more fine tuning to make it more believable and balanced. What I really enjoyed about this book was the setting and learning more about Indonesian culture. The descriptions of the food were also great. I gave this 2.5/5 stars.

Dial A for Aunties meets Tokyo Ever After, this book features Sharlot being dragged to Indonesia for the summer by her mother--who catches her almost doing the deed with her boyfriend. Once there, Sharlot stumbles into a fake relationship with the only son of a billionaire, George.

Full disclaimer: I am an adult reading a young adult book. But this book felt a bit like a caricature of teenagers--like the author was trying too hard to capture teenagers' personalities and ended up leaning in too hard and making them overly annoying and disrespectful. There's a gratuitous amount of swearing--certainly not what I would have said around family or strangers--and Sharlot is outright cruel to her mother at times. Sharlot is pretty much the definition of a ungrateful, petulant child despite constantly insisting she is an adult. I read a decent amount of YA, and I'm closer in age to these teens than their parents, so I don't think the problem is me? But maybe 15 year olds will love this book.

It did have bright spots. Sutanto has a fresh sense of humor and integrates her culture into the story in interesting ways. And I love a good fake dating/billionaire trope. Who doesn't want to dream of falling in love with a foreign quasi-prince?

Thanks to Delacorte Press for my eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

3 stars - 6/10

🌴 🇮🇩 Book Review 🇮🇩🌴

Well, That Was Unexpected by Jesse Q. Sutanto
4/5 ⭐️

I wasn’t sure I would like this arc that much since I haven’t read YA in a hot minute, and now I wish I had this book in high school.

This romcom follows Sharlot, a second gen immigrant, that gets whisked back to Indonesia after she’s caught with her bf 👀. Due to some meddling parties, she ends up fake dating George Clooney Tanuwijaya, the son of a rich family (yes, exactly like Crazy Rich Asians).

Jesse Q. Sutanto basically described the life of an Asian American going to their homeland for the first time, with a little fake dating trope for fun. Assuming that the country is mostly huts and being shocked that there are cities. The huge culture shock between conservative cultures versus American culture.

My favorite part of this book is the relationship between Sharlot and her mother. They don’t exactly see eye to eye; Sharlot wants freedom, and her mother wants to keep her close. I think as a daughter of immigrants, sometimes we’re quick to get angry and fail to realize why our parents act the way they do. The culture they grew up is vastly different from ours, and it takes having to see from the others POV to truly understand why. While it doesn’t excuse poor behavior on either ends, it shows how life isn’t black and white.

The relationship between George and Sharlot definitely gave high school vibes. Cringe, but cute. We all remember smiling at texts and trying to hide it from family or friends. Honestly it gave me PTSD but in a good way.

Thank you to @netgalley and @randomhousekids for this arc!! It’s been out for forever cause I suck 🙃

I was unprepared for how wild of a book Jesse Q. Sutanto’s Well, That Was Unexpected was going to be. It’s takes the whole fake dating tropes to insane but not great levels. I just couldn’t get over how little, say, Sharlot and George had in everything. I understand that this may be cultural as well as socio-economical since George is the sole male heir of a crazy rich Asian family but it just made me so uncomfortable how Sharlot was forced into an insane arrangement against her will after already being dragged to a strange, new country. Even if she and George had things in common, and were obviously physically attracted to one another, the romance didn’t feel properly developed as the two teens weren’t given any space and/or time to actually get to know each other.

On the other hand, what Well, That Was Unexpected does well is introduce readers to Indonesian-Chinese culture. The book is incredibly loud and proud of its Indonesian setting and characters, and it’s obvious through all the sights, smells, and tastes described in the book that the author takes great pride in her country. It also doesn’t shy away from local politics and criticism of certain aspects of Indonesian culture and society. I also enjoyed the surprisingly sweet subplot of Sharlot’s mom’s love story. This book definitely takes you on a ride; however, the incredibly unrealistic story just left me feeling exhausted by the end.

I'm a huge fan of Jesse Q. Sutanto! I've ready nearly all her books aside from her children's fiction novels and none of them has disappointed! She writes humor, romance, and thrillers perfectly! Genre doesn't matter when it comes to her books. This one was fantastic!

Super cute rom com with great characters and an awesome setting. I am a sucker for fake dating so that automatically made it a win in my book. This was an all around enjoyable read and I loved learning about a different culture.

Thank you NetGalley and Delacorte Press for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book was genuinely one of the best YA romances I’ve ever read. It gave very strong Crazy Rich Asians vibes. It was so fun, cute, and hilarious. I’ve honestly never laughed so hard while reading, and there was never a dull moment. It felt like I was watching a romcom the entire time. I loved the dynamic between George and Sharlot as well as their alternating POVs. Jesse Q. Sutano’s writing style was so engaging; I couldn’t put it down. I cannot recommend this book enough and can’t wait to read more of her work!

Well, That Was Unexpected by Jesse Q. Sutanto is yet another hilarious read by the author. This was my first YA book by the author and I thought the teenage relationships in the book were authentic and well-written. I loved the alternating POV's so we could see the insights of both characters. I will be recommending this book to all YA romance lovers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's- Delacorte Press for providing me with an ARC of Well, That Was Unexpected by Jesse Q. Sutanto in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely adored this book! I’ve read Jesse’s adult romances/mysteries, so this was my first YA written by Jesse and let me tell you, it absolutely lives up to the hype I had based on her previous works!

Sharlot’s mother immigrated to the US from Indonesia and Sharlot has largely ignored her mom’s past and memories of the country she left and loved. That is, until Sharlot’s mom finds her in a compromising position and decides to take her to Indonesia for the summer to reconnect as punishment.

George Clooney (yes, first and middle name after that famous actor) was likewise caught in new a compromising position. He has lived and grown up in generational wealth in Indonesia and has his family’s reputation to think about. His father decides that he needs a girlfriend to help with George’s public appearances.

What George and Sharlot don’t realize it that both of their parent’s are catfishing each other and when they are forced to go on a date, and get stuck in a lie, these two young adults are forced to fake date and spend time together where real feelings may catch on.

I loved the alternating POV between George and Sharlot and how they both needed each other to enhance their familiar relationships and their own relationships with their culture. This book made me hungry, this book made me want to visit both Indonesia and Bali, and this book was one giant ball of heart palpitations. I absolutely recommend it and need anything and everything that Jesse writes!