Reviews - Well, That Was Unexpected

690 reviews for:

Well, That Was Unexpected

Jesse Q. Sutanto

3.79 AVERAGE

rainyreadingcorner's review against another edition

4.5

funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

I knew I was gonna love it from the start! I already read one book from this author and loved it. I like her characters a lot, they have a complex personality and are well developed. They are not perfect and they know that. I like that the two main characters are very reflective but also aren't too mature for their age. The storyline was fun in a no cringy way (I cringe very easily at romance books). I couldn't stop reading. I also enjoyed that there is a lgbt+ couple in the book (I knew it from the first time they saw each other hihi) and how the two main characters reacted to it. The romance between Scharlotte and George is so sweet 🥹 and I learned a bit about Indonesia which I found great! Can't wait to read another book from Jesse Q. Sutanto!! A very wholesome read for sure!

oashackelford's review against another edition

4.0

When Sharlot gets caught in a compromising position with her boyfriend her mom decides that it would be better for her to spend her summer in Indonesia with her respectable and conservative family. Sharlot, feeling so weird about having been caught, breaks up with her boyfriend and is now spending her time moping around Jakarta. In an attempt to get her daughter a boyfriend who is more respectable, Sharlot's mom responds to a message online from a nice boy. What she doesn't realize is that the boy is the only male heir to the Tanujiwaya group, and that he comes from an extremely wealthy family.

They get caught by a reporter on their first date and now Sharlot is expected to fake date this boy until the media dies down and they can fake break up, but is she starting to catch feelings for him? And what will he think when he finds out it was Sharlot's mom, and not Sharlot, who reached out to him in the first place?

I thought that this book was pretty funny. I didn't like it as much as I liked the spin off book though, but I still thought it was a good story. I think that Jesse Q. Sutanto has a way of bringing her characters to life that makes them seem so real, and vulnerable. I did think that this book had a better wrap up than the sequel though, only because it wrapped up more of the storylines.

batbaby's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I read this after it’s in universe sequel didn’t see that coming, i really liked the characters in both books, but we didn’t get to as much of Eleanor Roosevelt’s personality in this one as we do in the sequel. This is a slow burn romance that almost feels like it won’t appear ☺️ this book made me laugh and cringe and I loved the small queer side characters/developments. The miscommunication and double catfish had me tense but made it even more enjoyable watching it sort itself out

mudder17's review against another edition

4.0

I am definitely older than the target audience, but I had a lot of fun reading this book. Full disclosure--I love reading YA and I especially love discovering new authors, especially POC/BIPOC. There were definitely moments when I thought of Crazy Rich Asians, although our two young people do not meet in school. Rather, their parents set them up in a catfishing situation where neither of them was involved, but they think the other was involved. This resulted in a ridiculous situation where they each think the other one is completely boring and old and uber traditional, which is completely not the case. What is similar to CRA is that George is the sole male heir of his generation to a ridiculously wealthy empire, Shar is the daughter of a single mother who left Indonesia under fraught circumstances and never looked back, and you get to explore Indonesia's beautiful culture (especially the food!). There were definitely moments of implausibility, including the idea that both Shar and George would never guess that the other one did NOT write their end of the conversation on the dating app. As intelligent as they were both supposed to be, it seemed odd that they wouldn't have eventually suspected that the other one was not the writer of the messages.

Still, this wasn't a major issue for me because this is what I would consider a fun summer read and I loved the situations they found themselves in. Her cousin and his sister were hysterical and really added to the story, and I loved what Shar discovered about her mom's past. I also loved how their own family relationships improved as they got to know each other and gained perspective. I didn't realize that Indonesia was such a conservative country, but I thought that the author tackled the subject very well.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story and will look for other books by this author. I'd recommend this to anyone looking for a fun and quick beach read. I suspect that those who enjoyed Crazy Rich Asians would also love this book.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This book is being published on September 27, so keep an eye out!

juicygreenmom's review against another edition

4.5

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

ltheaker's review against another edition

5.0

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the amazing opportunity to review Jesse Q. Sutanto's laugh-out-loud YA romcom in exchange for my honest review. Sutanto wowed me with Dial A for Aunties, and I have to say that I loved this YA adorable story with a smart vibrant heroine and a cute, determined hero. Sutanto's humor is her strength as a writer, and the side characters and elders and their hilarious banter made me chuckle constantly. Sutanto's descriptions of Indonesia were so fascinating, and I really was immersed into this adorable story and was rooting for this precious couple. Sutanto's whip-smart characters are so well developed, and I swooned! Can't wait for you to get to read this one!