This is definitely a book with the power to pull you out of a reading slump! I completed this fast-paced, farcical, rick-rollicking read in a matter of hours. When I was away from it, I couldn't wait to get back to it.

Even though it's totally plot-driven, you really feel that you get to know the protagonist, Meddy, and her lovely family. I liked how the Chans all had their own unique personality and loved the inclusion of their Indonesian-Chinese culture through the use of multiple languages and all the detail about Indo weddings.

Nathan is definitely a worthy love-interest and the flashbacks to their relationship throughout college really had me rooting for them.

The whole time I was reading, I couldn't stop thinking what an excellent film it would make, so I was so pleased to read that one will be produced in the acknowledgements. I'll be looking out for that.

This is an utterly ridiculous book and that's the beauty of it. An easy, absorbing read that will enable you to forget the world for a few hours. Loved it!

Jesse Sutanto's 'Dial A for Aunties' is a genuinely hilarious, farcical romp and I loved every minute of it! The main appeal is Meddy and her amazingly kooky family, her mother and three aunties, whose loveable bickering and hijinks are laugh out loud funny. When Meddy's meddling mother sets her up on a blind date, the night before the Chan family work a huge society wedding, no one could foresee her date would end up dead... and the family would be lumbered with a body they could definitely do without!

The story has more misunderstandings, twists and turns than a 'Carry On' film. I loved the backdrop of the lavish wedding and the luxury hotel. Of course we have drunken groomsmen, missing jewels and an oncoming storm threatening the couple's happy ever after. Anything to make life more difficult for Meddy and her family to just dump the body and be free of potential jail time. And all this is complicated by the presence of Meddy's ex-boyfriend Nathan who she is definitely still carrying a torch for.

Overall, Sutanto's novel is steeped in Indonesian culture with a healthy injection of soapy pandemonium. It is wonderful, pacey and full of hilarity. 4.5 stars and highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I'm reviewing yet another debut today (do I ever talk about anything else? ... occasionally) and this time it's a rom-com with a side helping of murder - Dial A for Aunties!

The book kicks off by immediately introducing you to Meddy, her mother, and her three Aunties. It's absolute chaos from the beginning, with the aunties getting overly involved with Meddy's life, and then later helping her cover up an accidental murder. As someone from a huge family, this resonated with me immediately, and it was hilarious.

I think a lot of people will compare this to Crazy Rich Asians and, honestly, I can kind of see why. Only because the characters are Asian and this is an over the top, very dramatic rom com with a huge family dynamic. However, I think that's probably where the similiarities end.

I loved reading about Meddy's relationship with her mother in particular. I thought it was lovely, and Meddy's mother was kind of adorable. Her overuse of the eggplant emoji made me smile.

The other relationships in this book - Meddy x her aunties and Meddy x her love interest - were also pretty great and they carried the whole thing for me. The author does a great job of making you care about what's going on with them all, and also making you feel a little heartbroken when things don't go well for them.

I really enjoyed this debut and it has made me very excited to read the author's YA debut, which is more of a thriller book, I think. I'm keen to see what she comes out with next!

It's difficult for me to put into words just how much I loved this book and detail exactly what I love about it because I loved everything! But I'm going to try and put into words my love for this book.
Let’s start at the very beginning: Why I requested this book from NetGalley. I requested this book because of three main reasons:

1. What first drew me in was the cover. I love the illustrated style that this book has, and it always captures my attention. It makes me intrigued enough to read a summary, and then I knew that I was going to read this book no matter what.

2. The premise sounded really cool. I wanted to figure out how it would be a blend of contemporary romance and a murder mystery thriller. Those sorts of genres don’t typically go together. Also, the summary reminded me of the movie Death at a Funeral, and I liked that movie.

3. Asian representation. Asian author writing an Asian story, hell yes, I’m going to read it. Plus, when I receive ARCs of books by Asian authors, I want to promote them on my channel and raise awareness.

This book is a plot focused book and it was the best. This book is the definition of a page turner. I read this book in 3 sittings. I did not want to stop reading because I had to find out what happened next. After the first 10% of the book, it was fast paced. I mean, the majority of this book takes place at the wedding, so you can imagine how hectic it is without the main characters trying to dispose of a murdered body. Discreetly. All of the twists and turns made the characters become a chaotic mess which I loved to read. What I especially loved about this book was the fact that all the things that happened in the summary happens within the first 15% of the book. So it’s not like the summary gives everything away, you have a lot of surprises still to read. In fact, if I were to spoil this book for you all, you probably wouldn’t believe that the twists happened. But in a good way. When I was reading this book, I was constantly thinking that this would be a good, fun movie to watch and then in the acknowledgments the author said it was going to be a Netflix movie! So I’ve already picked out the popcorn that I’m going to eat.

One of my favourite things about this book is the humour. This book made me laugh out loud so many times. I noted down at least 4 times I laughed out loud. It had silly humour that I appreciated and helped me relax. I would definitely define it as a comfort read. I would love to talk about all the times that this book made me laugh but it would be spoilers and then you might not find it funny if you knew what was going to happen too.

Another one of my favourite things about this book is how relatable I found it to my Asian upbringing, family, and the family dynamics. Meddy and her mother and her aunts are very close. So close that they run their own wedding business with each person having a separate but distinctive role. I love my family, but I don’t know if I would survive being in business with them. On top of that, the aunts are willing to help dispose a body for Meddy. They’ll criticise her actions, but they’ll help her regardless. I don’t know if I have anyone in my life that would be willing to help me dispose of someone I accidentally killed. What I also found incredibly relatable with Meddy was how she struggled to speak Chinese and Indonesian. Chinese and Indonesian are the languages her family are fluent in but Meddy isn’t. She’s only proficient in English and so when she tries to speak Chinese or Indonesian, her family get annoyed and frustrated and end up speaking in English, and it’s exactly the situation I have when I speak Thai. I’ve started to actively learn Thai, but I know I have years until I get to a point where I no longer bring dishonour to my mother. Seeing Meddy go through what I do made me really connect to her character.

Speaking of characters, Meddy is the star of the show. We’re following her story, so we get to know her the best. With that being said, this book is more plot based than character based. We get to know Meddy really well, and we understand her relationship with her family, but everybody else is side characters in this story and we don’t get to know them that much. I didn’t mind that because I am more of a plot-based reader. I prefer plots with good, fast paced plots and this book has that.
I also liked the romance between Meddy and Nathan. I do wish that we got to see more of them and learn more about their past relationship. We do get to see bits of it, and there’s flashbacks to the highlights of their past relationship, but I did want to know more. However, regardless of my personal wants, the romance was cute and I enjoyed learning about their past relationship and reading about the events that end up happening to them. Their kind of relationship goals. I want to say more but then it would be spoils. Please read this book so then I can talk more about the things that I love about this book with you.

Overall, I loved this book. I think this might be one of my favourite books of 2021. If you see this book pop up on my favourite books of 2021 list, act surprised. I would highly recommend this book. If you’re Asian, you are pretty much guaranteed to enjoy this book because you will relate so hard.

I don’t think I connected with this the same as others.
Some funny moments, an enjoyable read but not one I would pick up again

Oh. My. Goodness.
I cannot say enough good things about this book, I read it in less than 6 hours and I was devastated to finish it in a sense.
I grew up in and around London's Chinatown with my best friend (who was from Hong Kong) showing me all the delights of dim sum, so I could immediately imagine Meddy and her aunts (and ma) sat around a table sharing dumplings galore.

I laughed so much whilst reading, I had to keep stopping and explaining the story to my mum as she was dying to know what could be so funny in a book about murder.

From dim sum and cultural traditions to the importance and love of family, this book has it all. Cringingly accurate feelings of awkward romance and how things don't always work out the way you plan, but will somehow work out for the best.

Mediterranean families are scarily similar, so I felt right at home among the aunties. Now excuse me whilst I go pre-order a bunch of copies as everyone's getting one for their birthday...

Fans of Crazy Rich Asians will probably enjoy this one. It reads like a satire of soap operas, which will definitely appeal to many readers. I found the tone not to be to my liking and the narration was trying a bit too hard to 'relatable'. That the aunt are referred to as Big Aunt, Second Aunt, and so forth also wasn't to my liking. But as I said, I can totally see that other readers will find this story more entertaining and satisfying than I did.

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review – thank you so much as always to Netgalley for sending this to me.

Dial A For Aunties follows Medelin, a young woman of Chinese-Indonesian descent, alongside her mother and her overbearing aunties – Big Aunt, Second Aunt, and Fourth Aunt. Together, Medy and her Aunties run a successful wedding business, with each one running a different aspect – from catering to floristry to photography to beauty and entertainment. Medy adores her family, but they can be a little bit full-on – as is quickly demonstrated when her mother attempts to find Medy a boyfriend by setting her up with a stranger online. Unfortunately, Medy’s blind date turns out to be far from a handsome prince, and when she accidentally kills him in self-defence, of course she turns to her armada of Aunties to save her from the situations. The aunties get stuck in to help Medy hide the body, only to inadvertently ship it over to the fancy wedding they’re working at this weekend, meaning they have to juggle the wedding of the century with a decomposing corpse – a matter only made more complex when Maddie’s ex-boyfriend, the love of her life, shows up at the wedding. It’s a race against the clock to dispose of the body without getting caught, and one that’s full of fun, wild plot twists and more love than you know what to do with.

This was one of my most anticipated books of 2021, and it’s one that absolutely delivered on its chosen premise. I went into this one looking for wacky shenanigans, family bonds, laugh-out-loud humour and a rollercoaster of a plot, and the book ticked every single one of those boxes and more.
The plot is incredibly fast-paced and never lets up for a second – there's always something new happening and it manages to simultaneously laugh-out-loud funny whilst also being extremely heart-warming. It’s a constant roller coaster of unbelievable twists, until as you race towards the climax of the book, every page brings a new twist – but every single one is so brilliantly seeded that while they may take you by surprise, not one of them feels contrived or overdone. It has the feel of one of those outlandish comedy movies, like Home Alone or Little Heroes, where anything that possibly could go wrong will, and the result is just constant hilarity from beginning to end. Whether it’s a mix-up with language barriers, a body in the wrong place or someone getting spiked, this book has something new to throw at you on every single page, and I was absolutely living for it.

Despite the overall zaniness, though, there’s real emotion here. The relationships in this book are so nuanced and complex, from Medy’s feelings towards her family – obligation, eagerness to please, even some resentment, all mixed up with this intense gratitude and affection and awe – to the Aunties’ relationships with one another, with their bickering and sibling rivalry. It’s real and raw and sweet and so genuine, and so refreshing, because so many of the books I’ve read, particularly Western ones, tend to depict broken families: abusive mothers and absent fathers, distant siblings, or even dead ones, so it was lovely to read about this tight-knit family who have these strong bonds between them.

And finally, of course, we have to talk about the romance. The romance was the part of the book I was least focused on going in, so I was pleasantly surprised how well-written it was. As a seasoned romance reader, I tend not to be a huge fan of books with a romantic side-plot, as I feel it often gets side-lined and isn’t necessarily developed as well as it should be. That absolutely wasn’t the case here. Medy and Nathan have this classic friends to lovers, second chance romance – a trope I’ve always been an absolute sucker for – and it’s beautifully developed. Nathan is one of the most genuinely wonderful heroes I’ve read about, so loving and considerate and understanding, and I fell head over heels for him. I was so invested in this relationship, and it was like the wedding topper on the cake, complimenting the rest of the book perfectly.

As you can tell, I absolutely LOVED Dial A For Aunties. It’s 100% the best book I’ve read so far this year, and it gets a resounding 5/5 stars.

Okay. This book is just fantastic. It's a gripping thriller, a romance, a relatable cringe fest. It's a celebration of families and love. It's funny, crazy and touching. And it's a little bit disturbing.

Jesse Sutanto explains in her introduction that she is writing her characters from experience, and that she hopes they don't come off as stereotypes. Knowing this beforehand is reassuring, but it also reads this way without it. Her characters are real, dimensional and utterly believable, not least because they're often infuriating (in all the right ways). Meddy's conflicting feelings about her family and her past make her so very relatable, not to mention her response to the whole accidentally killing someone thing. Nathan is a perfect love interest, her mother and aunts have personalities crafted so brilliantly, even the side characters all feel like real people.

I just enjoyed this book so much. I defy you not to!

Dial A For Aunties is a romance with a twist. It’s dark humour, hilarious family dynamics and generally wild plot had me in stitches from start to finish. I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so much at a book! Jesse Sutanto takes us on a ride in this book, and yes it is a bit silly! If you like dark humour and want some laugh out loud fun in your life then this is the book for you. I can’t help but give it the best of ratings as it brought me so much joy.

Meddy Chan is a wedding photographer at her family business along with her Ma and Aunties. As the blurb tells us, one night Meddy accidentally kills the man her Ma catfished (classic parent fakes being daughter on dating app style), and calls her family over for help. This initiates the rollercoaster ride that is this book. What will the family do with a dead body, especially when they’ve got a big wedding the next day? I guess you’ll have to read to find out.

I absolutely adored the family dynamics in this book. The majority of the plot is set over the course of the wedding day, which meant it flew by right to the end as the family end up in awkward situation after awkward situation. I enjoyed the barriers the family faced as they are essentially trilingual as Chinese-Indonesians living in America – with Meddy knowing English best and her family more comfortable with Mandarin. Meddy’s journey is also really good as she learns to balance her loyalty to the family with what she wants from life.

Meddy’s ex from college also returns to her life in an unexpected way. Meddy and Nathan are not the focus of the book but I enjoyed their romance all the same – we love a second chance romance like this one. It was also interesting to see how Meddy would handle her family meeting the ex she never introduced them to.

Overall this is a great comedy, though it does involve a dead body in various situations so if that’s not your kind of humour I’d probably avoid it. Personally, I couldn’t stop laughing throughout and I tend to have strange humour! I really adored the characters which helped make this book so gripping for me. Will definitely be reading more book by Jesse Sutanto in the future.

'Dial A For Aunties' follows Meddy who ends up accidentally killing someone after an awful first date with him. She then involves the help of her aunties and her mother to help her cover up her crime, but with the biggest wedding her family has ever taken on happening the next day, Meddy and her aunties end up in a lot of trouble.

As soon as I heard about this book, I knew I had to read it and it was everything I wanted and more. 'Dial A For Aunties' was just such an amazing book and I loved every second of reading it.

I loved how this book kept me on edge the whole time and I could not predict what wild thing was going to happen next. It was also so funny and I found myself laughing so many at everything that was happening and how crazy it all was.

This book does have a romance plot but it was not as prominent in the story as I thought it would be but it was definitely cute and made the story more interesting.

I just adored everything about this book, most importantly the family aspect. I loved how close Meddy and all of her aunties were to each other and seeing how much they loved each other even when they were teasing each other or fighting. I loved how even though these characters had committed a murder, I couldn't help but root for them to get away with it because I adored them all so much.

I loved this book so much. I can't wait to read more books by Jesse Sutanto because I adored 'Dial A For Aunties' a lot. Also it's being made into a Netflix movie??? I need that now please.

Thank you to HQ for providing me with an advanced copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I do like a good comedy rom-com and it was we’ll written. Loved the fact the family are all involved and love their niece and are happy to help her cover the murder of her date.

What a great book this is! The crazy atmosphere of the protagonist’s family and the lengths the aunts are willing to go to in order to cover up for her were really something! A fun and quick read!

3.75/5 stars

Entertaining and fun 'Dial A For Aunties' is a funny, fast-paced sort-of comedy thriller where five women attempt to hide the body of someone they accidentally killed from the guests at a wedding they're working at.

For most of this book, I was thoroughly entertained. Sure, the writing's not the best, but the plot is a solid foundation for a good story and moves quickly enough to keep you gripped on what you're reading. As I was reading, I knew this would make a fantastic movie (very glad to hear that Netflix has picked it up for adaptation!), particularly as there's something entirely farcical about the entire situation and the way it plays out over one location. Part of me even thinks it could be a great play as well. As a narrative, it's crazy and outlandish and batty and hilarious - and that's what makes it a great book. Right up until about 90% of the way through.

Towards the end of the book, something happens that tips the scales of how convoluted this book is from
'bearable' to 'ridiculous'. For a book like this, there's a certain amount of disbelief you can suspend - but this
last minute twist was just silly. All it did was introduce more issues far too late into the book to be solved
properly - and it isn't. I get the reasoning for it and how it does give a particular character motivation for what they did, but it's not a very satisfying ending. If anything, it's annoying. So much build-up for a very rushed pay-off that doesn't deliver. I was really disappointed - the ending could have been much stronger, I felt.

Nevertheless, this is a great book that I'm sure will be making the hype rounds over the next few months. If you're looking for some escapist fun that'll keep you turning the pages till the end and giggling through its chapters, this one is for you.

4 stars

This book felt like home. I’m not quite sure how to categorise this book, but I loved it. Part romance novel, part comedic farce, this was a touching, laugh-out-loud novel about family and the ties that bind.

Dial A for Aunties tells the story of Meddy Chan, a photographer whose mother and aunts are very involved in her life. Together they own a family wedding business and their lives are entwined. Wanting to get away, a sense of duty and guilt keeps her tied to her family.

When her family’s meddling leads to a date gone wrong, Meddy, her mother and her aunts end up with a dead body on their hands. This leads to a hilarious sequence of events when the dead body proves rather difficult to dispose of.

Meddy was a disaster at times, and made some ludicrous choices, however, ludicrous worked for this book, and I appreciated that the character was never overly annoying despite this. All the other characters were also funny and endearing. Throw in a charming ex, some twists and turns, drunken grooms, panicking brides and a pesky corpse and you have a bizarre but thoroughly enjoyable story.

Being South-East Asian, I loved the representation. The characters felt so relatable and at times the conversation felt like I was reading about my own family. I smiled from start to finish, this was certainly a wacky, feel good read and I’m looking forward to reading more from this author.

Release date - 27th April 2021 (available for pre-order now)

A hilariously funny rom com with a smattering of murder thrown in... a tale of a meddling family and their unlucky in love niece who is now trying to cover up the death of her date.