Wow. Just wow. I think this is Jesse's best yet. The story is fantastic. The banter between the characters shows the strong relationships bringing them to life and making it impossible to not fall in love with and connect with them right away. This one had me cackling and tearing up and upset, but back to laughing so quickly. I don't want to give any spoilers away but this is absolutely a must read and a great place to start if you are just being introduced to Jesse's books.

I'm a big fan of Jesse Q Sutanto's books so requested this one immediately. It's a queer coming of age story told in two different times. The genre feels like a bit of a departure from previous books, but the excellent character development and descriptive narrative is just as you'd expect from Sutanto. This heartfelt novel beautifully explores the complexities of identity, courage, and family.

Thank you so much to Netgalley for accepting my request! Honestly this book was such a nice surprise. I adore Jesse’s books and this one wasn’t an exception. I found the story to be super entertaining and well thought out. Highly recommend.

After reading the arc for Worth Fighting For (5 stars) ive been looking for Jesse Sutanto books to be available and was thrilled to recieve this Arc. Thank you so much! This was one of my favorite books of the year.

I love the similarities and contrast in generational differences between Izzy and her Grandmother, Magnolia. This was such a coming into yourself at any age story. The cover made me think this was a fun little beach read but I sobbed. I need to hear this on audio asap and am going to hunt down more of Jesse's books.

Sweet, romantic, tragic, this book will make you feel everything so deeply. I adored the importance of any and all the relationships in life showing how friendship, sisterhood, and romance can all have ups and downs but still matter. A LGBTQ+ story that everyone should read, and cry over.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read the free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, this book though. I've read most of Sutanto's other novels and I'm always delighted by her ability to write various genres in a way that makes me feel like she's possibly the nicest person in the world. Is that weird? Oh well.

This particular book is a family drama combined with a coming-of-age story that's also an LGBT+ romance novel and it is utterly addictive. Once I picked it up, I did not want to stop reading it.

The characters are so human, and not always in a good way - but in a real way. I appreciate the author touching on the societal norms back then of being "obligatory parents"; there are so many generations of children who identify with a character whose parents do the right things by providing for their kids but weren't able or willing to do much beyond that.

This book is perfect for anyone who enjoys romance, intergenerational drama, and contemporary fiction. I cannot wait to see this one on the library shelves!!

It has been so long since a book made me cry, but this love story destroyed me. I knew Jesse Q. Sutanto could make me laugh out loud, but I didn’t know she could write something so devastatingly beautiful. This book is a sweeping portrait of how love — both romantic and familial — blossoms and endures. I can’t wait for Next Time Will Be Our Turn to be published; I know I will be recommending it to everyone.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Jesse Q. Sutanto aces it again! Devastatingly poignant, Next Time Will Be Our Turn left me weepy and breathless. This unique, heartwarming tale gives hope for all of us black sheep looking for our happy ending.

Thank you so much to netgalley and publishers for this ARC!

Wow, this book was just beautiful. It has been awhile since I read a story that really dug its way into my heart like this one did. I loved how hopeful and beautiful it was despite having extremely emotional and upsetting moments. Stunning novel!

I don’t know that I will ever recover emotionally from this book and I wholeheartedly believe that this book is going to make its way through all reading circles and interests as it has a story that is easy to fall in love with, and hard to forget- much like Ellery and Magnolia.

Magnolia lived a life of challenge, sacrifice, and love. Being sent to the US from Indonesia at the age of 16 to start college, Magnolia was not prepared for the world she was entering. Iris, her older sister, becomes Magnolia’s defacto guardian while Ellery becomes the love of her life- though Magnolia does not acknowledge the fact until much later. Magnolia’s life unfolds right before her granddaughter- Izzy- at the Chinese New Year party; which signifies new beginnings in many ways.

In reading this book, I was sucked in from the very beginning. Magnolia’s storytelling, her story, and the characters that help to weave the tapestry of Magnolia’s journey to self-acceptance and living life authentically are breathtaking. They truly make this book a masterpiece on identity and finding yourself in the midst of the societal expectations and biases faced by the LGBTQ+ community.

While I will not spoil the ending because Magnolia’s final words & Izzy’s epilogue leave your heart broken and then put back together again, I will say that I wholeheartedly loved this story. It left me speechless in many ways, hence this raw and emotional review. And I just know that this book is going to stand out in literary circles for all who read it once published.

Thank you NetGalley & Berkley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

Wow, this one really hit for me. NEXT TIME WILL BE OUR TURN is a sweeping tale of the life of Magnolia Chen, as told to her granddaughter Izzy. Magnolia, a daughter of wealthy Indonesian-Chinese doctors, is sent to university in LA so that she will become a desirable wife. However, Magnolia's time in the US helps realize she wants a life that looks very different than the one her parents expect. She's frustrated with the patriarchy and all its effects, particularly on herself and her sister. She values mental health, which is neglected in her country. And she falls in love.

This was beautiful, and I'm writing this with my glasses off because I did sob at the end, enough I had to take them off! The narration, the characters, the exploration of complex family and culture dynamics, the ability these characters get to live their truths. Wow, it all got to me, and this was such a bittersweetly hopeful read toward the end of a Pride month that feels, itself, bittersweet. I found it reminiscent of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo for the writing style and narrative frame, but I resonated with (and liked!) Magnolia a lot more than I did Evelyn. I also found the descriptions of settings and the interactions with other characters more compelling. This seems like it would be a REALLY good readalike for Seven Husbands fans, though.

It also reminded me of the 2022 reboot of A League of Their Own, in that objectively, I know that some of Magnolia's decisions are less than ideal, even problematic. For example, the age gap between Ellery and Magnolia did raise some concerns for me, and I've seen some other reviews mention taking issue with Magnolia's treatment of her husband -- but I also found that they felt realistic. I'm not sure. Sometimes the way to combat the patriarchal, straight norm - the way to be your real self in a world that will bend over backwards to deny you that - has to be just a little bit of nonnormative behavior. It's not like we got here without Black trans women throwing some bricks, you know? I recognize the issues with the age gap, and do think the story could have been much the same if Ellery had been younger... and also I recognize that neither of them ACTED on it until well into adulthood, and in fact both felt uneasy about even the NOTION of acting on it in the early years. Both of those cleared up a lot of concerns for me. I don't say any of this to excuse anything, but I just think there's more to it than "problematic behavior how DARE she!" Magnolia's story, and therefore her actions, were complex, a bit messy, and emotional - the way life is. I appreciated that.

This is a 4.5 star read for me which I will be rounding up to 5 on Goodreads and NetGalley.

This book absolutely wrecked me in the best way. Jesse Q. Sutanto delivers an emotional, powerful story that had me in tears by the end. I was completely drawn into Magnolia’s journey as she transforms from a quiet, unsure girl into a fierce woman finding her voice. The exploration of mental health, especially through the lens of Indonesian culture, was handled with care and depth. A beautiful story about love, loss, identity, and embracing who you are even when you don’t fit in.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing
Group for the ARC!

I am a fan of Jesse Q. Sutanto's work, but I wouldn't say this novel is her best. I found it refreshing that Magnolia's grandmother was queer, and I greatly enjoyed learning about her life. However, I felt the letters she wrote to Ellery were lackluster. I also felt some of the dialogue was awkward. I also appreciated learning about Indonesian culture from the lens of a family that was Chinese-Indonesian. The degree of misogyny and homophobia was jarring but not unexpected. It was an interesting read, but not Sutanto's strongest. I still look forward to her next release.

Great story! thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this book early.......i totally enjoyed the story of love and friendship...... I will look for other books by jesse sutanto....Its a story of a grandmother explaining her life and and letting her granddaughter know its ok to be who she is. i would definitely reccomend this book

Thank you to Berkley for the eARC! My first Berkley approval!

I really enjoyed this story of a teenage Izzy's grandmother, Magnolia, telling her about her life growing up and her journey to finding her true, gay self, falling in love, handling the challenges of an overbearing family and societal expectations, and grappling with loss. It was a moving story, especially her relationships with Iris and Ellery. However, I struggled with the writing, which felt juvenile, and felt like the ending of the book wrapped things up way too quickly. I wanted to know more about those years of Magnolia's life, but they were all told within the space of a few paragraphs. The ending was also unexpectedly sad, which doesn't necessarily reduce my rating of a book, but it definitely took me by surprise in this case.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC!

Next Time Will Be Our Turn takes readers on a beautiful storytelling journey from Magnolia of love, loss, and life. Magnolia is the grandmother of Izzy, a sixteen-year-old girl struggling with the family's idea of saving face versus loving yourself. Magnolia takes the reader and Izzy on a journey through her life experiences starting from sixteen that truly leaves the reader/listener inspired. Take this journey with Magnolia and Izzy; there is a whole life to be lived.

This was a surprising read in such a good way. Honestly, Next Time Will Be Our Turn was a loving, supportive, and realistic novel. Heartwrenching as well. Such a different, realistic, and refreshing perspective on love and life.

It’s really difficult to articulate the impact this had on me, but overall it was inspiring, hopeful, and timely. Lovely and unique storytelling as well.

In one word: beautiful.

This is way more than a sapphic romance. It’s about confronting societal ‘norms’ that serve no purpose (the patriarchy/misogyny, homophobia etc). Next Time Will Be Our Turn is also an ode to family, no matter what problems exist within them. NaiNai/Magnolia’s story is a boon not just for Izzy, but also for others who just want to be/feel seen.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the opportunity to read this book!

The ending! I did not expect the twist! This book begins with Izzy’s grandmother walking into a party with a woman and kissing her full on the mouth with everyone watching. Izzy is so angry about this, but she doesn’t really understand why. Hours later, as it’s dawning on her that she’s jealous, her grandmother finds her and tells her a story that started when she was 16 years old in the 90’s and has brought them to this point. This is a beautiful and heartbreaking tale of the sacrifices we make to meet societal standards and for those we love. There is always heart in Quanto’s books, but this one is special. You should read this book.

At a big, fancy Chinese New Year dinner, Izzy Chen is shocked when her glamorous grandmother, Magnolia, walks in with a beautiful woman and kisses her in front of the whole family. Izzy has always felt like the odd one out for having feelings she thought her family would never accept. But then Magnolia sits her down and shares the story of her own wild past: how she was sent from Jakarta to L.A. for school, and ended up falling in love with Ellery, a woman she was never supposed to be with. Next Time Will Be Our Turn is a story about family, love, and figuring out who you really are no matter how long it takes.

There was a lot I enjoyed about this story. It had a lot of sweet moments and I really appreciated learning a lot about Indonesian culture; the good and bad. I loved the growth in the relationship between Magnolia and her sister and how Magnolia navigated becoming the person she wanted to be and living the life she wanted in the extremely patriarchal society that she was raised in.

I had a couple issues with this book though. Most importantly, the age gap between Ellery and Magnolia in the beginning of the novel was weird. Although, nothing happens between them at that time, we find out that Ellery did have feelings for Magnolia at the time. She is 22 and Magnolia is SIXTEEN. The author could have easily made Ellery 18 and it would've felt less creepy. The writing was also a bit odd. During the "present day" scenes between Magnolia and Izzy, Magnolia sounds more like she's talking to her friend rather than her young grandchild. But during the flashbacks she sounded more adult when she was actually 16. The ending also felt a bit rushed. Everything kind of happened all at once.

Overall, I think this is an enjoyable story. There's plenty of time to change Ellery's age and that would probably make this a 4 star read for me. If weird age gaps are your thing, I'm sure you'll love this one.

I really loved the premise of this book, but the author's writing style and my brain do not get along, which is why it is rated 2 stars. However, this book tells an important story. It shows that the older generations are willing to admit they need to change. It shows that some ideas and feelings cross generational lines, and though they are hidden, eventually, they will all come to light.