Chloe finally gets off the waitlist for USC and is one step closer to her dreams of becoming an animator. Before she leaves for the United States, her aunt insists they throw her a traditional eighteenth birthday party. But her father throws a wrench by insisting he finds her the perfect escort. But Chloe isn’t ready to be set up with an awkward arranged date. What will happen if she falls in love, after all she’s leaving at the end of summer.

Give me all the cute rom-coms with arranged dating. This story was the cake! It was hilarious and tear felt. A summer filled romance romp. I really loved Chloe’s character and her dynamic with her dad. He’s hard to communicate with but he has all this love for his daughter and that touched my heart. There’s also side characters in LGBTQ community that were a nice added bonus.

All in all, I loved this story of coming of age and changes that we all experience.

📖 ARC REVIEW 📖

Thank you @penguinteen for an early copy of Chloe and the Kaishao Boys by @maecoyiuto . I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. 🤍

Chloe and the Kaishao Boys is a heartwarming, coming-of-age, young adult rom-com novel. It tells the story of Chinese Filipina Chloe, an aspiring animator who’s about to leave for the United States and pursue her dream and study there. Her aunt insists on throwing her a traditional debut for her eighteenth birthday before she leaves, plus her dad keeps setting her up with arranged dates (kaishao) to keep her from leaving Manila. Will she decide to stay, should she fall in love with one of the guys?

🛑Read on with caution; review may contain spoilers🛑

This book brings me so much nostalgia. It reminded me so much of my high school days, and how difficult it was to decide the next path to take in college. I envy Chloe as at such a young age, she already knows what she wanted to do. I, a 27-year old, fully-employed-while-pretending-to-be-adulting, do not. Like many young girls her age, she’s awkward, and insecure and doubts herself a lot as she navigates friendships and her family’s expectations; she’s very relatable, and her POV was very hilarious! Her inner thoughts and comebacks were very clever and funny – I was actually smiling a lot for the first 70% of the novel 😅 (and bawling my eyes out crying towards the end because the ending was heart-wrenching and beautiful).

What I found heartwarming about this novel are the love languages expressed by the characters. Chloe’s dad has a hard time expressing emotions. He almost always evades important conversations, but I love how he expresses his love for his family by posting pictures online of important family events and also displaying them in their house for remembrance. Chloe’s Aunt Queenie was overbearing, but that’s her love language; it’s how she shows how much she cares. I especially loved Chloe and Cia’s friendship and how Cia is very supportive and how they rely on each other.

This novel was hilarious, heartwarming, and brings A LOT of kilig! Rating Chloe and the Kaishao Boys ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/. Releases March 7th, 2023!

This was a cute YA summer romcom. It felt a bit like Dial A For Aunties but for young adults with the silly family antics of Chloe’s family. She has a large tight knit family and I found myself laughing out loud at their funny banter and her dad’s goofy #’s in the family texts. I really appreciated the representation in this story and how the author included Chloe’s multilingual interactions and the differences between her Filipino and her Chinese-Filipino family. It also touches on different stereotypes between the different cultures and how they regard coming of age and dating. I felt like I learned a lot from this book.

Chloe was a fun quirky main character. She had her flaws but I also found myself rooting for her. Her and her best friend Cia were adorable together and I always love when romance books include a great best friend. This story felt lighthearted but it didn’t shy away from discussing healthy relationships and accurately representing teen romance. I did find the romance a little cheesy at times but in the cute way. I also appreciated that while this was a romcom it wasn’t just focused on the romance. Chloe had her family, her friends, and figuring out her dreams.

Overall I think this book would be a great summertime read. For adults and YA readers. It’s funny, heartwarming and enjoyable. I definitely recommend giving this YA debut a chance.

Thank you PENGUIN GROUP /Penguin Young Readers Group for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is perfect! I said it! The book was HILARIOUS. The family was so goofy and each side character added so much to the story. The banter between the main character and the love interest was FANTASTIC and the love story gave me all the butterflies. And dear Lord did I CRY at the end of this book. The father/daughter relationship was so special. The best part of the book in my opinion. I need Coyiuto to put out some more books because I really enjoyed her writing style and voice.
Thank you to Penguin Teen for this advanced reader copy.

This is an adorable rom-com! Chloe is newly graduated and all set to go to the US and study at USC, but before she can begin living her dream as an animator, she must navigate her Aunties trying to set her up with different boys. As you can imagine, some of these setups go well and some not so much. There are many humorous moments as well as many heartfelt ones. I loved watching Chloe and her Dad's relationship grow almost more than the romantic relationship--he is the most adorable Instagram dad! There are also wonderful elements of friendship throughout the book. Learning about Chinese-Filipino culture was an added bonus to this sweet story!

I'd recommend this for teens who love sweet/cute romance stories! It is very PG, so great for those teen readers who aren't ready for more than that.

As soon as I read the summary, I added this book to my TBR list so fast. It just sounded so fun, and you all know I love a rom-com with antics! Adorably cheesy, Chloe and the Kaishao Boys was a fun rom-com about a girl whose family sets her up on kaishaos, arranged dates, before she heads to the US for college.

Chloe has just gotten off the waitlist for USC to study animation, aka her entire life’s dream. This summer though, her aunt insists on making a big deal of her debut, but Chloe doesn’t quite have enough guy friends in her life to be escorts. Her aunt and her dad decide to kaishao her, or set her up on arranged dates, with three different guys, the first of whom is Jappy, her best friend Cia‘s older brother. As the summer goes on, she finds herself having fun…and starting to doubt whether she’s good enough for her dream after all.

Chloe was a great protagonist to follow, dealing with her meddling family while also privately having doubts about pursuing her dreams to go to USC to study animation. Although she’s always wanted to go to the US for college, she starts thinking that she’s not good enough to be an animator, that she was USC’s second choice since she got off the waitlist. I feel like this is a journey many creators go through, and I liked seeing that Chloe grows out of these doubts throughout the book.

I really liked her relationships with the side characters as well, especially with her dad! Chloe’s parents are separated; she’s grown up in the Philippines with her dad while her mom moved back to the US when she was young. However, her dad’s always been emotionally aloof, and she feels like she needs to break through this wall this summer before she goes to the US. I liked that we get to see how close they are despite her dad not being able to show his emotions very well.

It was also great to see Chloe’s dynamic with her best friend Cia. The two of them know each other so well and have a lot of little traditions they do together every year. I liked their scenes together and seeing how supportive they are of each other. Cia always knows what to say to make Chloe feel better, even if they are gross yet strangely endearing metaphors.

This book was so funny too! Chloe has such a witty narrative, and I really enjoyed the humor. I already knew the kaishao plot line was going to be fun, but I was pleasantly surprised by just how much I laughed throughout this book. I was hooked from the first kaishao date, where her aunt sets her up at church of all places! Every character brings their own humor to the book, and I really couldn’t stop smiling while reading.

The romance was adorable; I won’t spoil who she ends up with, although I feel like you can pick up on the hints within the first few chapters. I’ll just say I really liked Chloe slowly realizing the little things she’s always known about him start adding up to her crushing on him hard. Their conversations are also so fun to read since they tease each other a lot.

I thought it was also interesting to read about the cultural dynamics in this book, which is set in the Philippines but has a lot of Chinese-Filipino characters. Coyiuto does a good job explaining the divide between Chinese-Filipinos and Filipinos, and how even if some Chinese-Filipinos like Chloe’s family are fine with them dating outside of the Chinese-Filipino community, they still hold small prejudices.

Chloe and the Kaishao Boys was a laugh-out-loud rom-com with a meddling family and a cute romance. I really liked Chloe’s character development as well as her dynamics with all the side characters. I flew through this book, and I can’t wait to read this author’s other works. If you’re a fan of hilarious rom-coms with a great supporting cast of characters, you need to read Chloe and the Kaishao Boys!

4.5 ⭐️

Chloe’s dreams of studying animation just got real—she is off the waitlist at USC! Between now and then though, she must field her Auntie’s arranged dates, practice and plan for a cotillion, focus on what life would be like abroad, all the while falling for her best friend’s brother. In the end, it all boils down to… well, what does Chloe want?

So reminiscent of my own childhood, CHLOE AND THE KAISHAO BOYS was such a Filipino treat! So much culture, family, relationships, and LGBT rep made up the story’s core. It was obvious which kaishao boy Chloe would be attracted to and the kilig (swoon) factor was definitely there. I enjoyed all the Tagalish (Tagalog-English) dialogue, Filipino pop culture references, and the one scene at church about holding hands during the Our Father and the peace be with you after… that was gold! I remember that so vividly when I was in Catholic school and you end up shaking a cute boy’s hand for a second during mass lol. Overall, a sweet YA that I recommend to fans of cultural coming-of-age romances.

When Chloe gets into USC, she can't wait to follow her dreams of going to school in the US and becoming an animator, and is trying hard to enjoy her last summer at home with her family in Manila, including her Auntie's over the top debut plans, and her instagram obsessed dad's resistance to the idea of her leaving. But when her family starts setting her up on a series of arranged dates, Chloe decides they've taken it too far. She doesn't want to be set up, especially when she's set on leaving at the end of the summer, so there's no way she would fall for any of these guys, right?

I loved this book! The romance was so cute, but it also took a backseat to Chloe's relationship with her family, and their struggles to show how much they love and care about each other in their own ways. The story was sweet and simple, but packed an emotional punch, and you could really feel the love Chloe has for her home and her family, contrasted with the excitement she has about following her dreams somewhere else. I loved watching her story unfold as she learned to balance and hold space for both in her heart.

This was a cute YA book that gave mild Bachelor vibes and lots of meddling aunties.

I love that this book introduced me to a culture that I'm not super familiar with. It taught me some new words in a language I don't know which is always fun to learn.

This book was a lot funnier than I thought it would be! I always love a meddling auntie and this book had those, plus a meddling, Instagram-obsessed dad! The dates and the feedback from the adults in this book was so fun and humorous. I think that's what really made this book so enjoyable.

There were a few moments when I had to actively push forward with this book because I was bored. I wasn't completely sucked in, but mildly interested which is what pushed me to keep reading. That's what mostly led to the lower rating.

Overall, this was a nice book. It's not one that would come to the front of my mind when recommending books, but it was still enjoyable.

This book is incredible. It had me giggling and bawling throughout. I enjoyed the heartwarming plot - family dynamics, friendships, Filipino-Chinese culture, high school crushes and embarrassments. The dialogue was silly funny and witty. There were a lot of fun moments. This had all the key ingredients of a fun romcom read!
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I loved this book and Chloe's relationship with her family. This author did a good job of showing how there is prejudice amongst Asian cultures and getting a glimpse of relationships between child and parent in the Filipino culture, I also loved the little romance plot. It was cute.

Can't wait to see what Mae Coyuito writes next.

A sweet and delightful debut novel set in Manila (Philippines) that gives the same vibes as To All the Boys I've loved Before, Chloe and the Kaishao Boys is definitely a recommended read for YA romcom fans.

To be honest, I didn't expect anything about this book (hell, I didn't even read the synopsis) but I got a feeling that it will have romance element because of the cover and I was right.

Though the romance plot is only half of the plot because we also have Chloe Liang's dilemma about leaving the Philippines to study animation in the US, I can say that the romcom aspect of this book carried the show because it captured the reality about discovering your first love - all the butterflies and the messy bits.

Another thing that I commend is, of course, the representation of the Filipino culture that Mae Coyiuto wonderfully stitched in the storyline. (Disclaimer: Chloe, the main character, is half Filipino half Chinese hence there are certain aspects e.g. tradition, beliefs that are practiced by the Chinese-Filipinos)

From nosy aunties to karaoke parties, strict dress codes in schools to rewatching Got 2 Believe ft. Claudine Barretto and Rico Yan, I was smiling every time I read a specific part that is tatak Pinoy. ✊🏼

My favorite part is when they (I won't be dropping names of who the Kaishao boy is) attended a Ben&Ben concert in their former school and that's when Chloe realized that she is experiencing kilig.

(NOTE: Please listen to Ben&Ben's discography because they're in my highly-recommended Filipino bands list)

It was also nice reading a book featuring dialogues using three languages (English, Tagalog, and Hokkien) because it shows the multilingual experience of living in the Philippines.

Lastly, I acknowledge that Chloe's point of view comes from a privileged perspective but I just want to highlight that the Liang's family dynamics is portrayed realistically. I like how the author developed the conflict surrounding Chloe's decision to study in the US. There are also core moments between Chloe and her dad that made me feel soft, love it.

Overall, Chloe and the Kaishao Boys is a recommended read!

Thank you PenguinTeen for sending me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

RATING: 4.5 stars

Reviews Posted: Feb 15, 2023
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Storygraph


OMG, THIS WAS SO CUTE! I think it captured the awkwardness of the teen years really well, and that dating during that time can be weird. While it was super cute, it was also heartfelt and captured the beauty of so many different types of relationships.

I related to the main character Chloe so much. Being caught between two worlds and feeling like you have to make a decision is incredibly confusing. I loved that we got to see her journey with her family throughout the book. Coming from a Chinese family myself I saw so many similarities and in a way, for me, it felt like coming home. We also get to see her navigate her friendships as well as romantic relationships. What this book show is that there are so many different types of love and it always looks different depending on the person you are with.

The romance was what made my heart swoon. I don’t even know how to describe it I just loved it. I also all the scenes with her family trying to set her up was so funny, and I couldn’t help but laugh.

This book brought up so many different emotions and it showed just how complex and tricky balancing different types of relationships can be.

Lastly, I enjoyed watching Chloe go on her journey regarding what she wanted to do with her life. While a side plot it was the thing I related to the most.

I was hoping that I would enjoy CHLOE AND THE KAISHAO BOYS, especially given that this book is the debut of a Filipino author. And fortunately, this book was a delight! If you’ve ever been a fan of Pinoy rom-coms (like the kind that air on Cinema One) and are cool with a teen protagonist, this may be the book for you. It’s a bit cheesy and a bit over the top at turns, but it’s also heartwarming in unexpected ways. And I was tickled pink by the Manila references too! It was fun to follow Chloe’s journey, and I definitely finished feeling a sense of contentment with how her story wrapped up.

3.5 stars
I was fortunate enough to attend the cover reveal for CHLOE AND THE KAISHAO BOYS last year, so this book has been on my radar for quite some time. I'm happy to say that it delivered! Set in Manila, we follow Chloe as she is preparing to move to the US for college. She lives with her father, who has all of a sudden decided to set her up on dates, though there's one boy in particular that she is interested in. While the romance was sweet, what I really loved was Chloe becoming more comfortable with the idea of leaving home to pursue her dream--animation. Her growth over the course of the story was great, and there were so many YA essentials that were done well: a supportive friendship, a budding romance, a father-daughter bond, and great humor. This was such a quick, easy read, and I'd definitely recommend it!

This was so too good! I was a bit weary as it was compared to a book I greatly disliked but it was thankfully nothing like it so I really enjoyed this one. This was such a fun young adult romantic comedy, definitely an easy read and highly recommended.

This was so adorable! I laughed, i cried, I changed. The family dynamic was super interesting and I saw a little of my dad in Chloe's (in a good way!). I loved that it dealt with expectations, both of yourself and from your family, and showed that not everything can go the way you wanted to. I also enjoyed learning about this culture, which is rarely represented in YA, so that was a nice side-plot as well. All of the boys made it so hard to root for just one, but come on, that ending?! We have to. Don't miss this one if you're a YA romance fan!

Chloe and the Kaishao Boys was a cute YA contemporary read! I loved how immersed I felt into Chloe's family's dynamics--seeing all her aunts, uncles, cousins, and other family friends interact with each other was a lot of fun. There were so many humorous moments and dialogues between all of the characters in this book. I also don't think I've ever read a YA book with a main character who is passionate about animation, and so it was very cool to see Chloe get to pursue her dream of studying animation at USC! The romance was also super adorable, but I wish it had picked up closer to the start of the book than from the middle of the story. Overall, fans of messy family drama, coming-of-age stories, and the "best friend's brother" trope will love this novel!

This book was so much fun! I honestly cracked so many smiles while reading this as Chloe and her friend were absolutely hilarious. This was very much a fun and easy read, and helped pass the time on a car ride. If you're looking for a cute YA romance, Chloe and the Kaishao Boys is the book for you!

this was incredible I bawled at the end

If you love YA rom coms, this is the ONE for you!! This book blew me away in every aspect: I adored the romance, the family dynamics and the friendships!! Had me giggling and crying, HIGHLY recommend preordering!