Reading Bali through Sharlot’s eyes was a dream come true for me. Here’s a girl who’s never been to her mom’s home country and is being slowly awakened to the cultural richness of her heritage. I love it so much. A delightful, hilarious, captivating love letter to Indonesia, and coming of age in a large meddlesome family, and the thrill of finding your person where you least expect it!"—Ali Hazelwood, New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis

Basically, Sharlot’s mother catches her in a partially-nude circumstance with her boyfriend, and as punishment jets them off to Indonesia for the summer. She claims that all Sharlot really needs is a proper understanding of her culture - and a boyfriend. A good, Indonesian boyfriend.

Well, That Was Unexpected by Jesse Q. Sutanto is a funny, heartwarming tale of family and love. I enjoyed this multicultural story, with charming side characters and a beautiful love story.

That said, I loved the other elements so much that I really want to see what this author does next. Well, That Was Unexpected is suitable for the 14+ reader due to the fact that the book does contain some offensive language, sexual content and the use of offensive text speak. Which in my opinion is a shame as the book would have been great for book/intervention groups due to the wonderful world-building and excellent writing skills from the author. A hilarious, heartfelt rom-com with a refreshing take on matchmaking, complete with embarrassing, yet well meaning, parents and a social media twist.” —Krystal Marquis, author of The Davenports if you want to read a book where you just keep on laughing until you cry, there is no better book to read than this. i haven’t read a romance that has felt so bizarrely funny, lovable and wholesome in such a long time and i feel like this has just itched every itch of my brain and cured every bout of sadness i have ever had. my brain? she’s fresh. she’s happy. she’s thriving. she’s jessie sutanto’s number 1 fan. Meanwhile, George’s billionaire tycoon family is desperate to protect his image. When his father finds Sharlot’s profile on a dating app (run by her mom), it’s a score. They (as in, the protagonists’ PARENTS) arrange to meet.

Neither George, nor Sharlot, knows that the other one’s patent was communicating with “them”. They are just aware of their own parent pretending to be them. If you’ve read any books by Jesse Q. Sutanto, you already know that her books start out with hilariously crazy situations and have lovable characters. Well, That Was Unexpected is about Sharlot (our mc) who is caught by her mother in an unideal situation. After her mother catches her trying to hook up with her boyfriend, in their California home, she is moved to their native Indonesia for the summer. In Indonesia, George is caught in his own mortifying situation by his father; I mean, he’s a teenage boy so we can’t really judge him for that little mishap. I did almost die of second-hand embarrassment on behalf of the two teenagers. Charming and immersive, this book feels like taking a trip to Indonesia. Jesse Q. Sutanto writes such vibrant characters, with gorgeous descriptions of setting, culture, and food. Don’t read this on an empty stomach!” —Nicole Lesperance, author of The Depths. Thank you to TBR and Beyond Tour for choosing me as one of the participants in the #WellThatWasUnexpected tour. I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I continue to recommend Dial A for Aunties as one of the funniest books I’ve read. And I think this book flew under the radar a bit since it’s YA but it is so funny! If you liked Aunties you’ll enjoy this one too.