Well, That Was Unexpected
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-09-20 06:53:00
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Jesse Q. Sutanto
- ISBN：0593433971
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
An outrageous， laugh-out-loud YA rom-com about a girl who's whisked from LA to her mother's native Indonesia to get back to her roots and finds herself fake-dating the son of one of the wealthiest families there， from the author of Dial A for Aunties。
After Sharlot Citra's mother catches her in a compromising position， she finds herself whisked away from LA to her mother's native Indonesia。 It'll be exactly what they both need。 Or so her mother thinks。
When George Clooney Tanuwijaya's father （who is obsessed with American celebrities） fears he no longer understands how to get through to his son， he decides to take matters into his own hands。
To ensure that their children find the right kind of romantic partner， Sharlot's mother and George's father do what any good parent would do: they strike up a conversation online， pretending to be their children。
When the kids find out about their parents' actions， they're horrified。 Not even a trip to one of the most romantic places on earth could possibly make Sharlot and George fall for each other。 But as the layers peel back and the person they thought they knew from online is revealed， the truth becomes more complicated。 As unlikely as it may seem， did their parents manage to find their true match after all？
After Sharlot Citra's mother catches her in a compromising position， she finds herself whisked away from LA to her mother's native Indonesia。 It'll be exactly what they both need。 Or so her mother thinks。
When George Clooney Tanuwijaya's father （who is obsessed with American celebrities） fears he no longer understands how to get through to his son， he decides to take matters into his own hands。
To ensure that their children find the right kind of romantic partner， Sharlot's mother and George's father do what any good parent would do: they strike up a conversation online， pretending to be their children。
When the kids find out about their parents' actions， they're horrified。 Not even a trip to one of the most romantic places on earth could possibly make Sharlot and George fall for each other。 But as the layers peel back and the person they thought they knew from online is revealed， the truth becomes more complicated。 As unlikely as it may seem， did their parents manage to find their true match after all？
Reviews
Amanda
，
To say that I enjoyed the story would be putting it mildly。 Sharlot （Yes that is how you spell her name， and the book does explain， I promise no spoilers） is essentially caught by her mother ALMOST having sex with a boy from her school and she does the only thing a mother can do - take her out of the county to Indonesia to see her family。 Sharlot is less than thrilled with this and to make it even more less thrilling - her mother decides Sharlot needs to a boyfriend to keep her from being so mop To say that I enjoyed the story would be putting it mildly。 Sharlot （Yes that is how you spell her name， and the book does explain， I promise no spoilers） is essentially caught by her mother ALMOST having sex with a boy from her school and she does the only thing a mother can do - take her out of the county to Indonesia to see her family。 Sharlot is less than thrilled with this and to make it even more less thrilling - her mother decides Sharlot needs to a boyfriend to keep her from being so mopey。。。by catfishing a boy named George Clooney。Enter George Clooney Tanuwijaya （his father loves celebrities）- he comes from a rich family and is ecstatic for the release of a new app。。。but he's never had luck when it comes to meeting girls he's not the best。 After his father and sister catch him in an embarrassing position， they decided the George needs a girlfriend and what better way to start than。。。online。Meeting online is one thing， but in person， is whole different field。 With very little in common， Sharlot and George decide that maybe they weren't right for each other， their families have other plans。I don't want to go into full detail because I would be afraid I would spoil this book。 I like how each chapter is told from Sharlot's POV and then George's。 I do definitely feel more for George than I did with Sharlot， bu then again， what teenage girl didn't try to fight with their moms at that age？ I know I did， but I can't help but like George more， but that is just me。I enjoyed the small side stories about George's dad and his family， and then Sharlot's mom and her family and secrets。 Kiki was probably my favorite character。 I enjoy those that are more straight forward and to the point whether they are going to hurt your feelings or not - Sharlot needed that and I found her character so adorkable。 It took me no time to read this book and I enjoyed reading every bit of it。 Other than mentions of family secrets （ I won't go into details） and a public reveal， there are not many triggers to mention at least on my end。 There are families that are toxic， but there are families that mean well and do genuinely love each other。 。。。more
A Santiago
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"Shocking" beginning with a consistent theme。 Author Jesse Q。 Sutanto writes of Indo-Chinese culture from a refreshing lens。 I've read her mystery novels and impressed that she branched out and attempted to read a middle grade novel。 George and Sharlot are throne together because of their well-meaning families。 Sharlot is American born and when caught in a near compromising position with her boyfriend in LA her mother whisks her to Indonesia。 Sharlot has never been， so at seventeen years old it "Shocking" beginning with a consistent theme。 Author Jesse Q。 Sutanto writes of Indo-Chinese culture from a refreshing lens。 I've read her mystery novels and impressed that she branched out and attempted to read a middle grade novel。 George and Sharlot are throne together because of their well-meaning families。 Sharlot is American born and when caught in a near compromising position with her boyfriend in LA her mother whisks her to Indonesia。 Sharlot has never been， so at seventeen years old it is her first trip。George on the other hand is caught "red handed" by his single-Dad and his sister。 Things are written in a humorous light， but the themes of ethnicity and identity， familial pressures， and being a teenager are consistent throughout the novel。 Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy。 I'm unsure how to adapt this for my classroom but will definitely request that our library have at least one copy。 。。。more
Isabella
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*I received the ARC from NetGalley*This was such a cute little YA romance book。 I had never read anything by this author despite her prior titles being so popular， but I'm somewhat glad this was the first novel I got to experience。I was slightly hesitant with the premise of two different parents catfishing online for a partner for their kids， however， this book had a lot of heart and sweet moments。 I really did like the dissection of Indonesian and Chinese culture， as well as learning about fami *I received the ARC from NetGalley*This was such a cute little YA romance book。 I had never read anything by this author despite her prior titles being so popular， but I'm somewhat glad this was the first novel I got to experience。I was slightly hesitant with the premise of two different parents catfishing online for a partner for their kids， however， this book had a lot of heart and sweet moments。 I really did like the dissection of Indonesian and Chinese culture， as well as learning about family dynamics and history。 I feel like everything blended together nicely and gave the reader some insight， while also offering a sweet romance book。The romance in YA books usually does have a lot of shy and sometimes awkward moments， but this one gave the reader a sweet story to root for。 Giving them a reminder of what it's like to fall in love for the first time。 Such a cute story and I am looking forward to reading more by this author。 。。。more
Courtney
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I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review。 All opinions are my own。 Jesse Q。 Sutanto continues to prove her versatility as a writer， pivoting to YA romcoms with Well， That Was Unexpected。 There’s a somewhat similar comedic， chaotic flavor to Dial A for Aunties to the family dynamics， perfectly satirizing the extremes Chinese-Indonesian parents and other relatives will go to in order to meddle in their children’s lives。 I really liked both George and S I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review。 All opinions are my own。 Jesse Q。 Sutanto continues to prove her versatility as a writer， pivoting to YA romcoms with Well， That Was Unexpected。 There’s a somewhat similar comedic， chaotic flavor to Dial A for Aunties to the family dynamics， perfectly satirizing the extremes Chinese-Indonesian parents and other relatives will go to in order to meddle in their children’s lives。 I really liked both George and Shar。 Both of them of course have preconceived notions of each other based on what their respective parents have presented them as when posing as each of them online。 Shar in particular is very disconnected from Chinese-Indonesian culture， living in America， and really learns more about it while staying in Indonesia。 And I appreciate how both George’s father （and sister） and Shar’s mother end up taking accountability for their somewhat questionable choices。 And ultimately both parents develop greater understanding of their children， and vice versa。 I also appreciated the frank discussions of teens’ sexuality。 The inciting incident on Shar’s end is her being on the cusp of having sex with her then-boyfriend， and while her mother is initially horrified， I like that the narrative allows Shar to reflect on the fact that she wasn’t ready at the time。 On George’s end， it was fun to see a boy exploring his own sexuality。 This book is so much fun， and just over-the-top enough without being too cringey。 If you’re a fan of multicultural YA contemporaries， I recommend picking this one up！ 。。。more
Aly
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This was a cute and funny story following two teenagers who get caught up in a catfish scheme cooked up by their parents。 There are plenty of silly moments， along with beautiful scenery and a sweet romance。 It was easy to jump into this and binge through the book。 My favorite part was learning about Chinese Indonesian culture。 I enjoy when authors write about their own experiences with growing up in their culture and feel like it helps me get to see how others live。 The food， the family expectat This was a cute and funny story following two teenagers who get caught up in a catfish scheme cooked up by their parents。 There are plenty of silly moments， along with beautiful scenery and a sweet romance。 It was easy to jump into this and binge through the book。 My favorite part was learning about Chinese Indonesian culture。 I enjoy when authors write about their own experiences with growing up in their culture and feel like it helps me get to see how others live。 The food， the family expectations， and the daily life in Indonesia is so different from what I know and watching Sharlot balance everything was interesting。 She's raised in Los Angeles so some things are different for her， but she still has a mom who comes from that culture so she's kind of stuck in between。 I didn't always like Sharlot， she could be mean and hurtful to her friends and family。 She's also a teenager and I felt like we saw a lot of growing up on her and George's side。 They also didn't like each other at first and it was a nice pacing of building their romance。 Overall a fun read with a beautiful setting！I voluntarily read and reviewed this book。 All opinions are my own。 Thank you to Delacorte Press and NetGalley for the copy 。。。more
bookmehnia
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{56/2022} 3/5🌟 YA Fiction| 339 pagesThis book would have been 4 or maybe 5 star rated all the way for me， but I think I have to rate it just 2。5 or 3。 I will tell you all about it later。A half American-Chinese Indonesian girl， Sharlot （supposedly to be Charlotte - I laughed like mad reading the part how the spelling became Sharlot）， and the most famous and it-boy of Indonesia descent， George Clooney Tanuwijaya （you read it right， but you would expect it if you have read Dial “A”- does Tom Cruise {56/2022} 3/5🌟 YA Fiction| 339 pagesThis book would have been 4 or maybe 5 star rated all the way for me， but I think I have to rate it just 2。5 or 3。 I will tell you all about it later。A half American-Chinese Indonesian girl， Sharlot （supposedly to be Charlotte - I laughed like mad reading the part how the spelling became Sharlot）， and the most famous and it-boy of Indonesia descent， George Clooney Tanuwijaya （you read it right， but you would expect it if you have read Dial “A”- does Tom Cruise Sutopo ring a bell？ 🤣） were accidentally match-made in the most unexpected way。 Behind the deceit and lie， true love began to blossom but could trust be the issue now？ Were they really expressing their true love or all of it was just a lie？The background setting was in Indonesia specifically in Jakarta and Bali。 I was particularly captivated with the Bali narrative as I went there for my honeymoon - Bebek Bengil， Uluwatu， the seafood， terrace paddy-field and the romantic scooter ride especially certainly reminded me of the sweet memories of the newly-married me and husband。 I love Shar and George individual monologues as they were funny and made me smiled sheepishly。 It was so fun to be young and in love， LOL！ I couldn’t help but to be reminded of （younger） Cinta and Rangga。 Explaining my first paragraph， well， all was so captivating for me right from the beginning until the “unexpected” subplot appeared which I think was really unnecessary。 I thought the focus was on Shar and George。 It should be their love story。 In my opinion， it disrupted the whole storyline and I think the author was perhaps too ambitious in inserting something that she could be fighting for？ 🤷🏻♀️I also think， the author needs to do thorough and extra background research in stating certain facts based on the country。 Since I read the uncorrected proof copy， perhaps the author could improve the flow and continuity of the story too as certain parts were a bit jumpy and done hastily。 Shar also didn’t to sound too horny 🫣。 Overall， it was a fun story of young people in love and would certainly reminds you of AADC， To All the Boys I Have Loved Before， Never Have I Ever alike。 I think “Dial ‘A’” is still my favourite of all her writings。Thank you #pansing for the review copy in exchange for an honest review。 A huge gratitude to my friend for buddy-reading with me and reading and tolerating my rants last night。 It was great to have someone who think alike ❤️。#justreaddontbawang #SeptemberRead #SeptemberTBRs #bookmehnia #bookstagrammalaysia #bookstagrammy #malaysiamembaca #bookstagrammer #bookgram #bibliophile #bibliophilemy #bookish #bookaddict #bookaesthetic #bookish #readersofinstagram #bookrecommendations #bookreview #bookworm #jesseqsusanto #wellthatwasunexpected 。。。more
Ivana
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A big thanks to the author， the publisher and NetGalley for approving me of a copy of an e-arc of this book！Well， that WAS， matter-of-factly Unexpected。 Just can't get over it。 A big thanks to the author， the publisher and NetGalley for approving me of a copy of an e-arc of this book！Well， that WAS， matter-of-factly Unexpected。 Just can't get over it。 。。。more
Ashley- Ashleyreads13
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Jesse Q。 Sutanto’s latest novel， Well， That Was Unexpected， is a love letter romantic comedy to her home country of Indonesia。 Filled with laughs， meddling side characters and picturesque scenes， this is a young adult romantic comedy that one will want to read。 When Sharlot’s mom catches her in the worst position， she is whisked away to mother’s home country of Indonesia。 Mom is there for a job， Sharlot is there to measure back up to expectations。 George Clooney’s father （no， sadly not the actor Jesse Q。 Sutanto’s latest novel， Well， That Was Unexpected， is a love letter romantic comedy to her home country of Indonesia。 Filled with laughs， meddling side characters and picturesque scenes， this is a young adult romantic comedy that one will want to read。 When Sharlot’s mom catches her in the worst position， she is whisked away to mother’s home country of Indonesia。 Mom is there for a job， Sharlot is there to measure back up to expectations。 George Clooney’s father （no， sadly not the actor） has caught his son in an unfavorable situation。 The only male heir in the family legacy， George needs to change his ways in order to be the face of the family’s latest media application。 Two different parents wanting the best for their children， dating partners included。 Two parents who strike up a conversation on a digital dating app pretending to be their son/ daughter。 One meeting at a cafe store later， and well， the rest is a wild ride。 Will true love be knocking in an unexpected way？ Sutanto’s passion for her latest novel shines through the pages as she describes the beautiful cities of Indonesia through the eyes of Sharlot。 Both Sharlot and George’s point of views are interwoven every other chapter to allow the reader to see all “behind the scenes” feelings。 While I loved the meddling families and exciting premise， I do wish the story was a tad shorter。 I recommend this novel for anyone who enjoys young adult romantic comedies or any of Sutanto’s other works。 Thank you Random House Children’s and Netgalley for my earc in exchange for my honest review。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。 。。。more
Steph
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I really enjoyed this book。 It was fast paced and hilarious with lush descriptions of Indonesia and Bali。 I loved the awkwardness that was sometimes over the top but always entertaining。 I really liked all of the family drama。 Sharlot and George were both very endearing， and it was so fun to see how they got closer over the course of the book。 I highly recommend this read。
Lindsey
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Jesse Q。 Sutanto does it again。 This is my 3rd book I have read from her and she is becoming my go to author when I need a good laugh or a book that gives me the warm happy feeling I need from reading。Well。 That Was Unexpected is about two teenagers， Sharlot and George。 Sharlot is from LA。 Sharlot's mother finds her in a compromising position。 This makes her mother fly her and Sharlot out of LA to her mother's native land， Indonesia。George's father thinks his son needs a girlfriend。 George's fat Jesse Q。 Sutanto does it again。 This is my 3rd book I have read from her and she is becoming my go to author when I need a good laugh or a book that gives me the warm happy feeling I need from reading。Well。 That Was Unexpected is about two teenagers， Sharlot and George。 Sharlot is from LA。 Sharlot's mother finds her in a compromising position。 This makes her mother fly her and Sharlot out of LA to her mother's native land， Indonesia。George's father thinks his son needs a girlfriend。 George's father thinks he is doing the right thing by setting out to find George a girlfriend using a dating profile by pretending to be George while messaging a girl。 George's father ends up messaging Sharlot。 When Sharlot sees this her mother takes her phone and messages the boy back while pretending to be Sharlot。 So many funny and touching things happen to both Sharlot and George and both of the families while they are trying to navigate through these personas each parents as put on them。 I am so glad I got an advanced reader copy of this book。 I will be talking about his book for sometime。 Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for allowing me to read this in advance to the publishing date。 This book gets a 4。5/5 star rating for me。 。。。more
Lindsey
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Jesse Q。 Sutanto does it again。 This is my 3rd book I have read from her and she is becoming my go to author when I need a good laugh or a book that gives me the warm happy feeling I need from reading。Well。 That Was Unexpected is about two teenagers， Sharlot and George。 Sharlot is from LA。 Sharlot's mother finds her in a compromising position。 This makes her mother fly her and Sharlot out of LA to her mother's native land， Indonesia。George's father thinks his son needs a girlfriend。 George's fat Jesse Q。 Sutanto does it again。 This is my 3rd book I have read from her and she is becoming my go to author when I need a good laugh or a book that gives me the warm happy feeling I need from reading。Well。 That Was Unexpected is about two teenagers， Sharlot and George。 Sharlot is from LA。 Sharlot's mother finds her in a compromising position。 This makes her mother fly her and Sharlot out of LA to her mother's native land， Indonesia。George's father thinks his son needs a girlfriend。 George's father thinks he is doing the right thing by setting out to find George a girlfriend using a dating profile by pretending to be George while messaging a girl。 George's father ends up messaging Sharlot。 When Sharlot sees this her mother takes her phone and messages the boy back while pretending to be Sharlot。 So many funny and touching things happen to both Sharlot and George and both of the families while they are trying to navigate through these personas each parents as put on them。 I am so glad I got an advanced reader copy of this book。 I will be talking about his book for sometime。 Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for allowing me to read this in advance to the publishing date。 This book gets a 4。5/5 star rating for me。 。。。more
Jane ML
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I would say that the first chapter where Sharlot got caught with her ex had me cracking up。 As a teenager， that must be very humiliating。 Next chapters were a bit slow。 I wish they told each other as early as the first meet that it was their parents who sent the messages and not them and just fall in love。 Idk。 It was just a series of push and pull for me and I was like， “oh come on。 Say it already”。 It became interesting around 70% or 80%。 I felt the ending was a bit rushed。 Overall， this was a I would say that the first chapter where Sharlot got caught with her ex had me cracking up。 As a teenager， that must be very humiliating。 Next chapters were a bit slow。 I wish they told each other as early as the first meet that it was their parents who sent the messages and not them and just fall in love。 Idk。 It was just a series of push and pull for me and I was like， “oh come on。 Say it already”。 It became interesting around 70% or 80%。 I felt the ending was a bit rushed。 Overall， this was an enjoyable read。 Great way to know more about Indonesia。 If you want to just chill， then this is it as it is very light to read。 Bonus point: fake dating！Thank you Netgalley and Random House Children's for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Alaina
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RTC
Belle Ellrich
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Disclaimer: I was provided a physical galley by the author and publisher for the purpose of providing an honest review。 This does not affect my opinion。Well， That Was Unexpected was a whirlwind， adventure rom-com between two messy teens just doing the best they can。 Filled with self-discovery， growth， and learning， this book is perfect for teens and anyone who might feel a bit misplaced in life's direction。Rating: Starred （recommended）Check out my full review on my blog Belle's Archive now！I wou Disclaimer: I was provided a physical galley by the author and publisher for the purpose of providing an honest review。 This does not affect my opinion。Well， That Was Unexpected was a whirlwind， adventure rom-com between two messy teens just doing the best they can。 Filled with self-discovery， growth， and learning， this book is perfect for teens and anyone who might feel a bit misplaced in life's direction。Rating: Starred （recommended）Check out my full review on my blog Belle's Archive now！I would like to address that on page 48 of the galley， there is a reference to Harry Potter that either needs to be taken out or replaced in the final copies。 As has been discussed multiple times over the last several years， Harry Potter references are not appropriate and are harmful to several minorities when included。 As we are now in 2022， it is past time for these references to not be used。Trigger/Content Warning（s）: Sexism， Mentioned Homophobia， Misogyny， Bullying， Cyber-bullying， Death of Parent（s） 。。。more
Katie Ann Majeski-Turner
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Awesome YA rom com from the author of Dial A for Aunties！ This book reminded me of an edgier Disney Channel Original movie （which I mean as a huge compliment）。 Sharlot lives in the U。S。 but when she gets in huge trouble with her mom and forced to spend the summer with their family in Indonesia， she meets the wealthy George Clooney Tanuwijaya。 Both George and Sharlot’s parents attempt to do a bit of matchmaking via catfishing each other online and the two are forced together。 Lots of interesting Awesome YA rom com from the author of Dial A for Aunties！ This book reminded me of an edgier Disney Channel Original movie （which I mean as a huge compliment）。 Sharlot lives in the U。S。 but when she gets in huge trouble with her mom and forced to spend the summer with their family in Indonesia， she meets the wealthy George Clooney Tanuwijaya。 Both George and Sharlot’s parents attempt to do a bit of matchmaking via catfishing each other online and the two are forced together。 Lots of interesting family dynamics and culture shock in this fake-dating gem。 If you’re looking for something light and funny yet heartwarming this is your book- out on 9/27/22！ 。。。more
rather_b_reading
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Thank you to Random House Children's and NetGalley for a free eARC in exchange for my honest thoughts。 I have read both books in Sutanto's adult romcom/murder series and loved those， but this was my first time reading a Young Adult book by her。 I was a little worried in the first 4 chapters because I was suffering so much second hand embarrassment （but isn't that how being a teen can be） This book was charming， cringy， and unputdownable。 I love that it not only explored Sharlot and George's rela Thank you to Random House Children's and NetGalley for a free eARC in exchange for my honest thoughts。 I have read both books in Sutanto's adult romcom/murder series and loved those， but this was my first time reading a Young Adult book by her。 I was a little worried in the first 4 chapters because I was suffering so much second hand embarrassment （but isn't that how being a teen can be） This book was charming， cringy， and unputdownable。 I love that it not only explored Sharlot and George's relationship， but also the bonds of siblings， cousins， exes， and long lost loves。 I am a sucker for multigenerational stories and this had that feel while still putting you in the perspective of teenagers who are often embarrassed about their families。 The second half of the book flew by with fake dating， family drama， and societal/cultural conflicts and the last chapter had me smiling。 I am giving it 4。5 stars because of the pacing at the beginning， but I can't recommend this book enough 。。。more
rather_b_reading
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Thank you to Random House Children's and NetGalley for a free eARC in exchange for my honest thoughts。 I have read both books in Sutanto's adult romcom/murder series and loved those， but this was my first time reading a Young Adult book by her。 I was a little worried in the first 4 chapters because I was suffering so much second hand embarrassment （but isn't that how being a teen can be） This book was charming， cringey， and unputdownable。 I love that it not only explored Sharlot and George's rel Thank you to Random House Children's and NetGalley for a free eARC in exchange for my honest thoughts。 I have read both books in Sutanto's adult romcom/murder series and loved those， but this was my first time reading a Young Adult book by her。 I was a little worried in the first 4 chapters because I was suffering so much second hand embarrassment （but isn't that how being a teen can be） This book was charming， cringey， and unputdownable。 I love that it not only explored Sharlot and George's relationship， but also the bonds of siblings， cousins， exes， and long lost loves。 I am a sucker for multigenerational stories and this had that feel while still putting you in the perspective of teenagers who are often embarrassed about their families。 The second half of the book flew by with fake dating， family drama， and societal/cultural conflicts and the last chapter had me smiling。 I am giving it 4。5 stars because of the pacing at the beginning， but I can't recommend this book enough。 。。。more
Amanda
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Thank you to Delacorte And NetGalley for the ARC！ All thoughts are my own。Why on earth are authors still writing Harry Potter references into books coming out in 2022？ That left a sour taste in my mouth and was enough to take this from a 4-star read to a 3。 Hopefully that reference doesn’t make it into the published version。The story itself was cute and if you liked Dial A for Aunties， this brings a lot of that same charm but for a younger audience。 It has fake dating， meddling families， and a t Thank you to Delacorte And NetGalley for the ARC！ All thoughts are my own。Why on earth are authors still writing Harry Potter references into books coming out in 2022？ That left a sour taste in my mouth and was enough to take this from a 4-star read to a 3。 Hopefully that reference doesn’t make it into the published version。The story itself was cute and if you liked Dial A for Aunties， this brings a lot of that same charm but for a younger audience。 It has fake dating， meddling families， and a ton of situational humor。 Be warned， it relies pretty heavily on the miscommunication trope。 It took a while to hook me on the story and between the slow start， some repetitive scenes， and the HP reference， I nearly DNF’d about a third of the way in。 I’m glad I pushed through， because once I got about halfway in， I couldn’t put it down。 。。。more
Norie Rodriguez
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You’re always looking for character development in at least one of the main characters but in “Well， that was Unexpected” everyone seems to grow。 I’m a Black girl from the South who feels like I’ve been to Indo （ha… read you’ll get it） and ate the food and saw the sites。 And if that feels like a stretch then when I go， I will come back to this book for what to order （and I’ll grab some charcoal pills on the way）！ When you read a love story you know it’s likely going to be a HEA so that’s not wha You’re always looking for character development in at least one of the main characters but in “Well， that was Unexpected” everyone seems to grow。 I’m a Black girl from the South who feels like I’ve been to Indo （ha… read you’ll get it） and ate the food and saw the sites。 And if that feels like a stretch then when I go， I will come back to this book for what to order （and I’ll grab some charcoal pills on the way）！ When you read a love story you know it’s likely going to be a HEA so that’s not what you’re looking for。 You want to see how clever the author is about making it happen。 Sutanto does not disappoint。 It was ingenious。 It was real。 It was fun。 It was the perfect ending to a great book！ 。。。more
Sydney
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This was a lot of fun and Sharlot and George are adorable。 I kind of wished we had seen more of them actually together but I still enjoyed it。 I need a novella of them in college。 I received an arc through netgalley。
Sherwood Smith
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A young adult romance， set in Indonesia？Oh yes！ I grabbed it at once。 And the love letter to Indonesia was such fun to read， especially the lavish descriptions of food （coffee！） and the gorgeous scenery。Things I liked: the total over-the-topness of George's family。 I was laughing out loud at their no-boundaries antics。 I also thought the sly not to "Crazy Rich Asians" was a lot of fun。 And I also liked the eventual evolution of Sharlot's thread with her mother， even if it took quite a back seat A young adult romance， set in Indonesia？Oh yes！ I grabbed it at once。 And the love letter to Indonesia was such fun to read， especially the lavish descriptions of food （coffee！） and the gorgeous scenery。Things I liked: the total over-the-topness of George's family。 I was laughing out loud at their no-boundaries antics。 I also thought the sly not to "Crazy Rich Asians" was a lot of fun。 And I also liked the eventual evolution of Sharlot's thread with her mother， even if it took quite a back seat to all the rest of the shenanigans。What I didn't like: that the story's substrate was based on non-communication。 I hate this trope， especially when there's a perfect opportunity right up front for two supposedly reasonable teens， left alone， to just clear the air。 Instead， the story has to bang along with contrived ways to keep the non-communication going， when it wasn't necessary。 I thought the story would actually have been a lot stronger if the two had been on the same team from the gitgo， instead of the manufactured "fights" built on no one having the brains to just say what was going on。That said， I loved the other elements so much that I really want to see what this author does next。Cw: frank talk about teens under eighteen having sex， and sexual exploration。 （I thought it well done， but because this is aimed at the under-eighteen market， thought I'd mention it。） 。。。more
Kristi V
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What an absolutely adorable read with a great glimpse into Indonesian culture！ This really did seem like a love letter to the theme of getting back to your roots and connecting with family。 This was such a cute read， the characters were so entertaining and extremely believable that made this book such an easy one to picture in my head。 From the hilarious openings for each main， to the cat fishing parents to the development of Shar and George's relationships this book kept me smiling。 While it wa What an absolutely adorable read with a great glimpse into Indonesian culture！ This really did seem like a love letter to the theme of getting back to your roots and connecting with family。 This was such a cute read， the characters were so entertaining and extremely believable that made this book such an easy one to picture in my head。 From the hilarious openings for each main， to the cat fishing parents to the development of Shar and George's relationships this book kept me smiling。 While it was a predictable read， that did not take away from anything and it really took me back to those high school years and the struggles of kid versus parent。 A fun read for anyone who loves a good YA rom-com。 。。。more
Shaena Peters
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Reviewed for NetGalley:I have enjoyed Suntanto’s work in the past， but this one presented itself as just okay。 The characters were just “meh，” and the contrived arranged relationship just didn’t do it for me。
Gina Malanga
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After reading this book I am ready to book my flight to Indonesia- the food， the sights， the people- this book made me want to see it all。 In her acknowledgments the author describes this book as a “love letter to Indonesia” and it is exactly that！ George Clooney （teenager not famous actor） gets caught in a compromising situation and his father and little sister have the answer！ Shark it gets caught in her own compromising situation and is whisked off to Jakarta with her mom as punishment。 What After reading this book I am ready to book my flight to Indonesia- the food， the sights， the people- this book made me want to see it all。 In her acknowledgments the author describes this book as a “love letter to Indonesia” and it is exactly that！ George Clooney （teenager not famous actor） gets caught in a compromising situation and his father and little sister have the answer！ Shark it gets caught in her own compromising situation and is whisked off to Jakarta with her mom as punishment。 What Sharlot couldn’t have expected was falling in love with Indonesia and her history。 This book delves into a Indonesian history and cultures and makes the reader walk away not only having throughly enjoyed the story but learning something too！ 。。。more
Nicole Miller
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When Sharlot gets caught with her boyfriend， her mother takes her away for the summer to Indonesia， a place of her mother’s birth but also a place Sharlot has never been to before。 There she meets George， the only boy in one of the richest families in Indonesia， who also was caught by his family in an embarrassing act。 Their families connect them through dating apps and craziness ensues。 I really liked this book。 I thought the characters seemed like realistic teenagers and took me back to all th When Sharlot gets caught with her boyfriend， her mother takes her away for the summer to Indonesia， a place of her mother’s birth but also a place Sharlot has never been to before。 There she meets George， the only boy in one of the richest families in Indonesia， who also was caught by his family in an embarrassing act。 Their families connect them through dating apps and craziness ensues。 I really liked this book。 I thought the characters seemed like realistic teenagers and took me back to all the deathly embarrassing things my parents did。 It was like a YA Crazy Rich Asians， full of humor， surprises， and expensive travels。 This is also the first YA book from the author of Dial A for Aunties so you know it's good。 。。。more
Laura Bowie
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I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。 This was a very cute rom-com。 I could not stop smiling， or book the book down。 I love it。 The characters are so relatable and funny。 I was smiling the whole time。 I will confess I did enjoy her other books as well。 If you are a fan of cute Rom com’s read this book。
Quinn
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Fake dating and catfishing…what could go wrong？！？ Her mom wants her to date a respectable young man。 His dad wants him to find an honorable young lady。 This book is set in Indonesia and I loved hearing about the places and culture。 This book also covered some serious topics…however， it missed the mark for me。 The dialogue between characters and the internal dialogue throughout was hard to read。 It was cringy at times。 Not what I was expecting after reading Dial A for Aunties。 I enjoyed parts but Fake dating and catfishing…what could go wrong？！？ Her mom wants her to date a respectable young man。 His dad wants him to find an honorable young lady。 This book is set in Indonesia and I loved hearing about the places and culture。 This book also covered some serious topics…however， it missed the mark for me。 The dialogue between characters and the internal dialogue throughout was hard to read。 It was cringy at times。 Not what I was expecting after reading Dial A for Aunties。 I enjoyed parts but overall it was not the book for me。 I’m sure some will love it！ I’m a YA fan for life！！ 。。。more
"shybookstagramer" Becca
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This is by far my favorite read by Jesse Q。 Sutanto！ I thought it was a great and unique story。 The story has a fake dating aspect to it but with a little bit of a twist。 The interactions between the characters seemed genuine。 They were funny and loveable。 Plus this book is set in Indonesia！ I have never read a book set there before and I was all for it。 I would love to read more books set there。 I liked how Sharlot showed the American view of other countries based on assumptions。 I thought that This is by far my favorite read by Jesse Q。 Sutanto！ I thought it was a great and unique story。 The story has a fake dating aspect to it but with a little bit of a twist。 The interactions between the characters seemed genuine。 They were funny and loveable。 Plus this book is set in Indonesia！ I have never read a book set there before and I was all for it。 I would love to read more books set there。 I liked how Sharlot showed the American view of other countries based on assumptions。 I thought that was very realistic and I liked that the author included that。 My one complaint about this book is that I felt personally attacked by it！ The characters said 27-year-olds are basically ancient！ How dare they call me ancient？！？ HAHA！ It did make me laugh though but made me feel so old and attacked by these fictional characters。 Thank you netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review 。。。more
Lucy！
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Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review！What a slog to get through。 This book provided bland characters， a plot both unbelievable and boring， terrible dialogue， and cringe-inducing romance。 While aspects of the premise were appealing （who doesn't love a good fake dating story？）， how they were carried out left much to be desired。Following the story of Sharlot， taken to Indonesia by a mother after a near-miss with a scandal， and George， under pressure during a time of g Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review！What a slog to get through。 This book provided bland characters， a plot both unbelievable and boring， terrible dialogue， and cringe-inducing romance。 While aspects of the premise were appealing （who doesn't love a good fake dating story？）， how they were carried out left much to be desired。Following the story of Sharlot， taken to Indonesia by a mother after a near-miss with a scandal， and George， under pressure during a time of great publicity before an important event for his family， nothing about the plot was compelling。 Even moments of supposed suspense or romance produced nothing but yawns。 As for the characters themselves， bleh。 Sharlot in particular seemed almost like a parody of herself， at one moment blushing and stuttering with George but constantly bursting out with frustrated feminist declarations。 Hardly any character traits or development showed up beyond these showy statements。 I have almost nothing to say about George because he had no characteristics beyond "Hey， I'm a nice hot guy！"A small development late in the story （70%） provided some very small relief from the tedium， but that development was dropped almost as suddenly as it was brought up， aside from a tiny mention at the very end。I found it difficult to keep track of which chapters were from Sharlot or George's perspectives because their inner monologues were the。 Exact。 Same。 And not in a good way。1。5/5 with the extra 。5 for the representation of Indonesian culture （especially the food！） and the small development。 I regret having requested my early copy of this book。 。。。more
Serisop
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