Well, That Was Unexpected

 

My Thoughts:

Like We Deserve Monuments, a teenage senior is forced to temporarily leave her friends and home to travel to her mother's home town, in this case, Indonesia. Throughout the book, both girls find that their mother's are holding secrets that will change their relationship. However, that is where the two stories verge away from each other. 

Unlike the drama of Monuments, this is a cute romcom, family meddling, crazy rich Asians style adventure through Indonesia. From the beginning, as readers we know that they are going to get together eventually, so this was really a love story about the place too, from a lot of coffee and street food to beautiful scenery, it really. makes me want to visit Indonesia. I learned so much about it through this book. 

From the Publisher:

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?

Publication Information:

Author:  Jesse Q. Sutanto

Publisher: Delacorte Press (Sept. 27, 2022)