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Fake dating? Parental catfishing? Indonesia? Utter hilarity? If any of these appeal, you’ll want to grab Well That Was Unexpected by Jesse Q. Sutanto ASAP!
Friends. Let me tell you something. It is my deeply held belief that Jesse Q. Sutanto is some sort of wizard who can write an amazing book in literally ANY genre or age category. I have now read books she has written for adults and teens, all of which were amazing (though I did find Dial A for Aunties JUST A BIT STRESSFUL), and I will absolutely follow her to the ends of the earth, by which I mean read ANYTHING she writes (Seriously. Her middle grade novel is at the top of my TBR). ANYWAY, that was a very long-winded way of saying that I am participating in the TBR and Beyond Tours Book Tour for Jesse’s latest novel, a snort-laughingly hilarious rom-com called Well That Was Unexpected. Here’s some important info about the book:
TITLE: Well, That Was Unexpected
AUTHOR: Jesse Q. Sutanto
RELEASE DATE: September 27, 2022
MORE INFO: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indigo | Indiebound
Synopsis
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?
About the Author
I grew up going back and forth between Jakarta and Singapore and consider both places my homes. I was fortunate enough to do my Masters in Creative Writing at the University of Oxford, which is surely one of the most gorgeous places in the world. I am passionate about women’s rights and diversity in publishing. I regularly do giveaways where I critique queries or the first few pages, and I am especially interested in helping writers from marginalized communities. If you are a writer from a marginalized community, do hit me up! I love hearing from other writers, even if it’s just to say a quick hello.
Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Facebook
Listen friends, I read this book like, months ago and I still think about how utterly funny it was. I loved getting to see a YA book set in Indonesia, which is not exactly a common setting for rom-coms. I also thought that the fact that the families of both main characters in the story decided that the best choice for the happiness of their children would be to pretend to be them online to find them a romantic partner (aka, CATFISHING), completely independently of each other, was HILARIOUS. And the pushback against some of the antiquated societal norms and different stereotypes was a great addition that didn’t take away from the love story at all. I hope this little spotlight has convinced you that Well That Was Unexpected deserves a place on your TBR, but if not, definitely check out the other stops on the tour for even more reasons to read it!
And if you’ve already read Well That Was Unexpected, leave a comment letting me know your favorite part!
Looking for more like this? Check these out:
- Book Tour: Top 5 Reasons to Read Bad at Love by Gabriela Martins
- Book Tour: Top 5 Reasons to Read Forward March by Skye Quinlan
- Book Tour: Castles in Their Bones by Laura Sebastian
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