Teen me would have been totally obsessed with this book. Adult me kind of is too. Chloe is the exact kind of character I’ve always related to. Sweet, nerdy, not super popular, close with her family, and has really cool and unique aspirations for her career. On the cusp of turning 18, she’s confronting all sorts of different life decisions. It’s not only a question of her talent and drive, but also her confidence as well. Chloe brings a fresh and optimistic perspective to her story, pursuing her dreams, finding love in the most unexpected places, and being a pretty incredible best friend. You can’t help but like her!

This story has everything you want from a light-hearted YA romcom: new adventures, cute boys, hilarious aunties, great friendships, adorable Instagram-obsessed dad, personal discovery, and so much more! The writing is light and fun, and definitely had me chuckling. It’s got some heavier elements too as characters try to navigate and overcome some racist beliefs as some families cling to outdated ideologies. And there are some serious heartfelt moments as some of the LGBTQIA+ characters experience their own journeys into fully embracing their true selves.

This book will warm your heart and you’ll read it in a flash! Always a joy to find something great to dive in to, particularly during the holidays.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book, as this book has already been published, I will not share my review on Netgalley at this time.

Endearing, emotional, and entirely funny, Chloe and the Kaishao Boys is a perfect young adult story. The tentative beginnings of romance, the fear of failure coupled with the desperate need to follow your dreams, and the complex family dynamics you must negotiate as you come into your own, were all portrayed so beautifully. I was completely captivated and cannot recommend this enough. Mae Coyiuto is someone to watch for.

a cute and funny coming of age novel that was an absolute delight to read! it is everything you would want in a young adult contemporary book. Reading about her relationship with her family and her best friend and also how she grew as a character was very heart warming. Will definitely be checking out more books by this author!

This book was like a classic kdrama and was a fun young adult novel for those coming of age. It was very fun

On the surface, Chloe and the Kaishao Boys is about matchmaking, or avoiding being matchmade. Yet, in reading the story, there's a lot more to it.

It's a story about setting boundaries with your parents, setting boundaries with your extended family. Learning how to best express yourself. Most importantly being confident in ones self, and continuing to pursue dreams even though some opportunities close.

An enjoyable debut novel written for the teen that isn't sure what they are doing, but has a vague sense of what is possible if they believe.

I requested this for consideration for Book Riot's All the Books podcast for its release date. After sampling several books out this week, I decided to go with a different book for my review.

I really enjoyed this book! It was cute, funny, and a quick read.

Chloe and the Kaishao Boys is 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. This was funny, lighthearted but also very emotional.

I loved learning more about Chinese-Filipino culture and Filipino culture throughout the book. I think the author did a great job explaining her culture.

Overall this was such a breath of fresh air. I loved every single thing about this novel.

SYNOPSIS: Chloe is ready to live out her dreams of being an animator, going to school at USC... and living in America. However, her dad isn't so ready to ship her abroad, instead her family pressures her to have a traditional debut (think sweet sixteen for eighteen year olds... but BIGGER), and are dead set on setting her up with date after date, so she can have the perfect escort. With conflicting feelings of love, family, and dreams at hand... how will Chloe's summer play out?!

MY FEELS: I listened to this one partially on audiobook, and read the e-book, and really enjoyed reading it both ways. The story is exactly what I'd expect and want out of a YA romance, sweetness, coming of age, big feels, and big changes. It was adorable, Chloe was too cute, and all of the drama of added love interests kept the pace of the book moving along. I loved it!

4/5 Stars

[Gifted by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers and Netgalley - thank you! All opinions are my own.]

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for this DRC.
This is a great book to make you laugh. Chloe has a wildly complicated extended family who are all far too involved her Chinese Filipina up-bringing. Will she have a traditional debut, leave Manila for college or actually date any of the guys her family keeps arranging for her to date?
Chloe was a delightful character and I was rooting for her the whole time.

#ChloeandtheKaishaoBoys #NetGalley

This was such a cute and fun read! I was expecting it to be all about the boys the main character was set up with but I thoroughly enjoyed following her story outside of the 'love interests' and learning more about her relationships with her family, her best friend, and her parents.

I loved this fun & heartfelt book about family, friendship, and pursuing your dreams!

It’s the summer before Chloe is leaving Manila to go to USC for college, and she’s anxious about not being talented enough to become an animator. She feels like a disappointment to her dad, who wants her to stay in Manila and study business management, and wonders if she’s making the right choice. I loved how Chloe’s passion for animation shines throughout the book, and her fears were so relatable. I was rooting for her to believe in herself!

Meanwhile, Auntie Queenie is planning Chloe’s debut party for her eighteenth birthday, and Chloe has to stop her from making it an over-the-top production. Auntie Queenie’s setting up dance lessons and putting together mood boards—she really has a vision! And, Chloe’s dad keeps setting her up on surprise kaishaos (arranged dates), which kept making me laugh out loud. It was so heartwarming when Chloe and her dad finally communicated more.

I adored Chloe’s friendship with Cia and how they always supported each other. Their conversations were so funny and heartwarming. I also loved the details about Chinese Filipino culture, and the glossary at the end. The romance was cute, too, and I liked how it progressed throughout the book. I absolutely recommend this book!

Read number 20 for me was CHLOE AND THE KAISHAO BOYS by Mae Coyiuto (thanks @penguinteen and @netgalley for the eARC) and I thoroughly enjoyed this YA romance. Plot revolves around high school senior Chloe who is deciding the next step of her life while also dodging arranged dates from her fam.
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I think I’ve thrown shade at other YA ARCs that I’ve read but I’m trying to (1) remind myself of the targeted audience and (2) keep the shade in check… all this to say that I didn’t have major flags for this book and found it to have well-rounded cast of characters and a plot that is not obsessed with boys and kissing. I loved that author Coyiuto addressed the racism/colorism/classism of Chinese-Filipinos towards Filipinos — I think there’s a lot to say about racism in Southeast Asia and am glad Coyiuto didn’t shy away. I found the character dialogue witty (“He’s a pretty boy and a petty boy”), the friendships enviable (Cia & Chloe!!!), and descriptions of rain, music, and puppy love evocative— these were all highlights and I would 100% recommend CATKB to yall who enjoy YA.

Although I read this book before it truly felt like summer here in SoCal, I wholeheartedly recommend it as your next beach/hammock/staying inside near the A/C read! I can't talk about why I loved the romance here without revealing some spoilers; all I can say is that it leaned into one of my favorite tropes and there were no love squares in sight (despite the cover art). Strong platonic and familial relationships added additional layers and kept the story from being solely focused on the romance. Chloe's friend Cia dealt with real issues around racial discrimination in their community, causing Chloe to step up and support her friend when it mattered the most.

This is also one of only a handful of books I've read that was set in the Philippines, and I really liked how Chloe was shown as wanting to move to the U.S. for a specific opportunity while still loving her hometown. I'm sure her passion for animation will resonate with other young readers who have similar aspirations. If you like cute dates, banter, Chinese-Filipino culture, or family drama, you'll find something to appreciate in Coyiuto's debut.

4.5 stars

I thought this was a really cute book. It was not only about a romance but about Chloe's family, friends, culture, and her decision to move away from all those things in the Philippines to the united states. I loved the romantic tension between Chloe and one of her kaishao boys but I still enjoyed the others. I thought each character had a unique and distinct personality and there was some great character development. Overall, I recommend checking this out.

Content warning: racism

I spoke about this book on a bookhaul instagram live. I really loved this book and found it to be super funny! I think anyone who reads it would really enjoy it because of how light & fun this book was.

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.
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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?
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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