3.5🌟

I found the first 70% of this book to be a bit boring to get through, but that last 30% was excellent! Almost had me crying. I really loved the moments between the two sisters to me that was the relationship that I will take away from this story.
I was a little off put by the age gap of the romance (mainly just their ages when they met) which I think made me a little hesitant to fully root for.
Overall though I feel like this book is worth a read for its story more so than the romance!

thank you Netgalley for the e-arc!💫💛

Next Time Will Be Our Turn is much more serious and reflective than other books of Sutanto's that I have read in the past. The story opens up with 16-year old Izzy, a shy and introverted teenage girl attending a family function where her "Nanai" or grandmother shows up looking fabulous with a woman on her arm and kisses her in front of all of her family. This is especially shocking because they are in Indonesia, where such things are not considered proper by traditional families/standards.

Nanai decides to share her story with Izzy, which starts when Nanai herself is 16. It is a story about identity, feminism, the tension between modern and traditional values, one finding oneself and more, sweeping back and forth between Los Angeles/the United States and Jakarta, Indonesia. Threaded throughout the narrative is a story of love and romance, which is not just between Nanai and her love, but also others in her life, her sister Iris, classmates, her parents, etc.

Overall I did enjoy the story. As a first generation Canadian myself and growing up with an immigrant parent who struggled with a lot of similar questions as it came to identity and conflicting values/traditions as between Canada and Lebanon, I felt a lot of the story was really relatable. What I struggled with I think, was that I wanted more. At times I felt like the story rushed along and we didn't get to actually see inside some of the thoughts and conflicts that arose throughout the book and Nanai's story. I also struggled a bit with the timeline and when were Nanai and Izzy having their conversation vs. the timeline in the books because here is Nanai in school when I myself would have been in school, but I think part of that was to make her story more modern and relatable to a wider audience, who would have been in school when she was. I think I kept assigning 2025 to the current day conversation but that didn't make sense with the age of the characters in the story so it only makes sense that their conversations were sometime in the future (and was totally a me problem I think). I did like the epilogue where we see Izzy take the lessons and story that her Nanai shared in order to live her truth and live her life as to not repeat the mistakes of her Nanai.

A huge thanks to Netgalley and Berkley for giving me access to an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Berkley for this ARC!

This made my heart ache in the best way.

The yearning and longing just had me wistfully sighing throughout.

I loved the dual plot lines and how in depth everything was.

Thank you Berkley and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed this read! It was cute, cozy, wholesome, and also informational. It felt like lessons were being learned for the main character, which I was pleased about. The characters had growth and development, and the story line was just as sweet. It did feel a bit too cheesy and cliche on my end, but it is a romance I’d still recommend to others.

My previous reads by Sutanto have had a silly, humorous side to them (the Aunties series and Vera Wong…) so I wasn’t completely prepared for this story to be as emotional as it was. I also anticipated a bit more dual-timeline based on how the book starts but I thought it was executed perfectly, with the occasional short modern day interjection (by the way, “modern day” is clearly in the future because 1) the grandmother graduated college in 2002! and 2) there’s a reference to “the entire world getting down to zero emissions sixteen years ago”) from the granddaughter but otherwise this is very much the grandmother’s story. Those incorrect assumptions aside, I was captivated by this story of balancing family/society expectations with following your own heart. Also, how beautiful is that cover?! 😍

Thanks to @netgalley and @berkleypub for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review! Publication date is 11/11/25.

(TW: domestic abuse)

Love this author and loved this book! It was very different from what I was expecting aka I was expecting a typical romance or maybe a rom com. I love that this book leaned more towards women's literary fiction and the overall message was so special. Just as an additional aside, being 30, it was super cool to see the "past" of this Grandmother be in the early-mid 2000s--very cool concept! Here is. my public review to goodreads and my rating is 4/5 stars:

Thank you netgalley for the advanced readers copy!! This book turned out to be SO much more than I thought it would be. It is a beautiful romance but it leans more towards literary fiction and I loved getting to see Magnolia's journey. The story of sisterhood in this book and overall deeper message were truly unmatched. I highly recommend preordering this one and this would be a 10/10 vacation read!

This is such a moving story of finding true, honest love after twisting yourself into knots to appease your family. It’s so rare when you see a story about healing inter generational trauma that is initiated from the elders in the family, instead of the younger generation. A very moving read.

A sweet and heartfelt novel about a happily ever after that never happened, and why it couldn't happen. After finally coming out in her 70s, Magnolia tells her granddaughter the story of the love of her life, and what happened to keep them apart. Both nostalgic and fresh, It leaves readers wishing for a happier ending, but satisfied with the one provided.

Is a heartwarming story of a grandmother sharing her experience of first love with her granddaughter. Told in dual, intertwined timelines, one in the present and one in 1998 Magnolia shares her life story coming to California when she was sixteen, living with her sister which whom she had a complicated relationship and becoming complacent with the life her parents laid out for her. There is and always has been a fire in Magnolia, finally she is sharing it with her family.

This story has a lot of depth, love and loss. I really soaked up Magnolia’s storyline and it felt so realistic. Family is complicated, especially in a traditionalist and conservative family. Her story is raw, complex and overall really enjoyable. However, Magnolia is sixteen in 1998 and in her 70s at the time she is telling this story. This means she is telling this story some time in the 2050s which really doesn’t make a lot of sense and is never addressed in the story. This bit kept pulling me out of the story as her grand daughter Izzy reacts and holds similar opinions to a teenager in 2025. A small flaw but it really kept me from being able to fully immerse myself in the story.

Heartfelt. Heart wrenching. Heartbreaking. Heartwarming. This book was absolutely wonderful! Next Time Will Be Our Turn was everything you hope for in a contemporary romance. I fell deeply for Magnolia and her coming-of-age story as she recalls her past to her granddaughter, Izzy. As the matriarch of her family, she is emboldened by the knowledge that Izzy would be the one grandchild that would need to hear it more than anyone else.

This book is about self-discovery, first loves, second chances, sacrifice, loss, and fighting for what you believe in. The characters were beautifully written and the focus on sisterhood, fighting patriarchal norms, and purity culture was powerfully addressed. Magnola, Ellery, and Iris made such an impression on me and will stay with me for long awhile.

Solid 4.5 out of 5 stars read for me. Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for an advanced copy. Book publication date is November 11, 2025.

This book absolutely gutted me. It's one of those stories that feels equal parts tender and devastating. The kind that lingers with you. Sutanto weaves together a dual timeline that's both sweeping and intimate. It follows Izzy Chen in the present, and her Nainai, Magnolia, in the past. This also gave me a look into piece of Indonesian culture, especially what purity culture is like. The family dynamics are razor sharp and painfully relatable. Magnolia's coming of age love story is so beautifully written that I felt every heartbreak and every triumph right along with her. The balance between humor and heartache. Moments that mad me laugh out loud but there were also moments that left me a little misty-eyed. Magnolia's story in navigating love, cultural expectations, and her own identity was emotional and reflective. Sutanto does such a phenomenal job of showing how love can shape generations, and how identity, family and acceptance are things we're always growing into. While this book may have ripped out my heart, it also fixed it and handed it back full of hope and beauty. Thank you to Net Galley, the Publisher & Author for the ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily with my honest opinion.

this was brilliant. the writing style made it very easy to read, and dual pov made it even more enjoyable! overall such a great story. we love the sapphics !!!

This is the best book I ever read in my entire life. When I requested this book, I didn’t think much of it, but now, after I finished it, I don’t know what to do with my life. Ellery and Magnolia mean so much to me…This book absolutely ruined me. it made me cry, giggle, smile and cry even more! 😭

I can’t wait to reread it and cry all over again on release day. This review can’t even give justice to the book because this truly is the best book I’ve read in a while. A huge thank you for sending me this book because this is now my favorite book of all time. I even posted a review post on Instagram because it was too good not to be posted. 🫶🏼

Absolutely loooooved this!!! This is my first book by Jesse Q. Sutanto and I wasn’t disappointed. A great coming of age story involving a little romance, heartbreak, and growth. I felt all the feelings during this book. I cannot wait for the physical book to be released so I can reread it and recommend it to everyone. The cover for this book is also stunning!

Teenager Izzy Chen has always felt like she just doesn’t fit in. Dreading her family’s fancy Chinese New Year celebration, she and the other attendees are shocked when her glamorous and successful grandmother arrives with a beautiful woman and kisses her in front of everyone. This bold act shocks Izzy and leads her to question everything she’s ever known, especially those lingering questions about her own identity. Recognizing her own struggles with identity, acceptance and familial expectations, Magnolia Chen sets out to share her own story with her granddaughter. Izzy learns Magnolia grew up with some of the same insecurities and questions. When she moved from Indonesia to Los Angeles for a better education, she never expected to develop such strong feelings for Ellery–a fellow student. Magnolia struggles with this attraction, especially within a culture and gender norms where such relationships are forbidden. Her story–the search for love, acceptance, and a place outside of traditional female norms crosses decades and lifetimes. VERDICT This book reminds us that life, love and families are messy and unpredictable and yet somehow we all end up where we were meant to be even if the road is sometimes a little bumpy. You better have a box of tissues handy.

This was very different from what I was expecting from the synopsis, and not in a good a way. I wish the story had focused more on the romance between Ellery and Magnolia instead of Magnolia's family issues. If I had known how heavily the story centered family and motherhood, I would not have picked it up as that is not something I enjoy reading about. A main character also dies very predictably; the page before they died, I thought, "imagine if they die this way, that would be such a cop out". I also would have preferred if either Izzy got more of a story line or had been left out completely. I really didn't enjoy how the story was told as an account by Magnolia to Izzy. Overall, this was way more depressing than I was expecting, since I thought it was going to be a fun queer romance.

I loved Sutanto’s Vera Wong books so much and had an expectation that this book would be similar. Once I got past the idea that this was a completely different genre, I settled into the story.
I don’t think this book will appeal to as broad of an audience as the Vera Wong books. That being said, I think it was interesting for Sutanto to have a bi main character. I do think it’s important to have more main bi characters, instead of as sidekicks or minor characters. In addition, her current popularity will help this story to reach more audiences. I was happy that Sutanto didn’t try to typecast Magnolia into a category (gay or straight) and instead let her grow as a character. I also think this book will appeal to a YA audience, and it does provide some important messages to young people who may be feeling pressure to fit into a role and will give them an opportunity to read stories about characters who are struggling with some of the same identity issues.
My primary complaint is the dates. Is the current story line 30 years in the future? If so, that seems weird. If Magnolia was 16 in 1998, then she would have been born in 1982, making her 73 in 2055? Is that a typo? Should the prior story line start in 1965? This review is of an advanced copy from NetGalley and I hope that they will fix the date issue in the final version.
Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for an ARC of this book!

I loved the middle of this book! The beginning was confusing because I didn’t realize the grandmother was telling the story and the timeline was weird. Is present time actually the future? I also found the age difference to be a little weird. The middle of the book told a great story, but then the end got a little hectic. There was a lot going on in a small amount of chapters. The pacing got very fast. The general story was good though!

A Beautifully Imperfect Story of Real People Making Real Mistakes
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Jesse Q. Sutanto has crafted something truly special in Next Time Will Be Our Turn—a novel that doesn’t shy away from the messy, complicated reality of being human. What struck me most powerfully about this book was how achingly real the characters felt, not despite their flaws, but because of them.

Sutanto has created characters who feel like people you might actually know—people who make questionable decisions, struggle with their own limitations, and sometimes hurt the ones they love without meaning to. There’s a raw vulnerability in how these characters navigate their imperfect choices that made me want to both shake them and hug them at the same time. The author doesn’t offer easy answers or neat resolutions, which makes the emotional journey all the more authentic.

The beauty of this novel lies in its refusal to present perfect people living perfect lives. Instead, we get characters who are trying their best with the tools they have, even when those tools aren’t enough. Their mistakes feel earned rather than contrived, and their growth feels genuine because it comes through struggle and self-reflection rather than convenient plot devices.

Sutanto’s writing captures the way real relationships work—with all their friction, misunderstandings, and moments of grace. The vulnerability on display here isn’t just emotional nakedness for its own sake; it serves the story by showing us how people really connect with each other, through shared imperfection rather than polished facades.

This is the kind of book that stays with you because it reminds you that being flawed doesn’t make someone less worthy of love or understanding—it makes them human. Next Time Will Be Our Turn is a tender, honest exploration of what it means to keep trying, keep hoping, and keep choosing to show up for each other, even when we don’t have it all figured out.
Highly recommended for readers who appreciate character-driven stories that honor the complexity of real human experience.

This book completely broke my heart and put it back together again. Seeing Magnolia grow from a timid 16 year old girl into a proud and confident woman was incredible.

I learned a lot about purity culture in Indonesia. I wasn’t very familiar with any sort of culture in Indonesia before this book, and reading it has opened my eyes to the challenges women face in other countries.

This author wrote comphet and internalized misogyny so incredibly well. I saw a part of myself in Magnolia even though I live in a “westernized” country with accepting family and friends.