3.5
Well, That Was Unexpected
ByPublisher Description
"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
A 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 bestselling author of Dial A for Aunties and The Obsession
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?
A 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 bestselling author of Dial A for Aunties and The Obsession
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?
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Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communitiesWell, That Was Unexpected Reviews
3.5
“This book had a cute premise, but it didn’t fully click with me.
The biggest highlight was George. I thought he was well-written, easy to root for, and brought a lot of heart to the story. Unfortunately, I didn’t connect with Sharlot in the same way. Her personality didn’t quite work for me, and I never felt like the chemistry between the two leads was as strong as I wanted it to be.
I also struggled with the writing at times. It often felt like the story didn’t trust the reader to pick up on what was happening, choosing to overexplain emotions or repeat ideas instead of letting them speak for themselves.
That said, I did appreciate that the miscommunication actually had believable stakes behind it. I usually find that trope frustrating, but here I understood why the characters acted the way they did. The dates and romantic moments were also genuinely sweet and gave the story some charm.
Overall, Well, That Was Unexpected was an alright read, but it never rose above “just okay” for me. There were elements I liked, especially George and the central premise, but I was left wishing the characters and writing had been a bit stronger.”
“This was my first book with Indonesian-Chinese representation, and I really enjoyed that aspect of the story because it felt refreshing and interesting to read about a different cultural background.
I also enjoyed how the story was written because it was quirky and fun. The humor and the characters made the book entertaining, and the lighthearted moments kept me interested while reading. I liked that it balanced funny situations with the overall storyline.”
“There is LGBTQ representation!!! So read this in June!!!
I did like the fake dating trope!!!
There was traveling involved!!!
From the beginning to 50-75 pages it was slow. Then it started to speed up, which I liked!!!”
About Jesse Q. Sutanto
Jesse Q Sutanto is the author of the YA thriller The Obsession and the adult rom com Dial A for Aunties. She grew up shuttling back and forth between Indonesia, Singapore, and Oxford and considers all three places her home. She has a master’s from Oxford University, but she has yet to figure out how to say that without sounding obnoxious. Jesse has forty-two first cousins and thirty aunties and uncles, many of whom live just down the road. She used to game, but with two little ones and a husband, she no longer has time for hobbies. She aspires to one day find one (1) hobby. Visit her online at jesseqsutanto.com.
Other books by Jesse Q. Sutanto
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