I finally picked up Dial A for Aunties a little while ago. It had been on my to read list for years haha. I listened to the audiobook and pretty soon after also listened to the second book in the series, Four Aunties and a Wedding. Today I want to share my thoughts on both books, so let’s jump in!
What happens when you mix 1 (accidental) murder with 2 thousand wedding guests, and then toss in a possible curse on 3 generations of an immigrant Chinese-Indonesian family?
You get 4 meddling Asian aunties coming to the rescue!
When Meddelin Chan ends up accidentally killing her blind date, her meddlesome mother calls for her even more meddlesome aunties to help get rid of the body. Unfortunately, a dead body proves to be a lot more challenging to dispose of than one might anticipate, especially when it is inadvertently shipped in a cake cooler to the over-the-top billionaire wedding Meddy, her Ma, and aunties are working at an island resort on the California coastline. It's the biggest job yet for the family wedding business—"Don't leave your big day to chance, leave it to the Chans!"—and nothing, not even an unsavory corpse, will get in the way of her auntie's perfect buttercream flowers.
But things go from inconvenient to downright torturous when Meddy's great college love—and biggest heartbreak—makes a surprise appearance amid the wedding chaos. Is it possible to escape murder charges, charm her ex back into her life, and pull off a stunning wedding all in one weekend?
Dial A for Aunties (Aunties, #1) by Jesse Q. Sutanto
Published by Berkley on 27/04/2021
Pages: 299
Goodreads
Dial A for Aunties has a fun but crazy premise! I wasn’t sure what kind of tone to expect, would it be serious or more lighthearted and leaning into the crazy?
This story was definitely leaning into the crazy haha, the aunties were super over the top and the plot was one crazy thing after another. The ‘accidental’ murder was solved in a way that was pretty convenient but I guess that was to be expected.
Meddy, the main character, was a bit annoying at times and I wasn’t completely sold on the romance. But overall it was a fun ride!
Meddy Chan has been to countless weddings, but she never imagined how her own would turn out. Now the day has arrived, and she can't wait to marry her college sweetheart, Nathan. Instead of having Ma and the aunts cater to her wedding, Meddy wants them to enjoy the day as guests. As a compromise, they find the perfect wedding vendors: a Chinese-Indonesian family-run company just like theirs. Meddy is hesitant at first, but she hits it off right away with the wedding photographer, Staphanie, who reminds Meddy of herself, down to the unfortunately misspelled name.
Meddy realizes that is where their similarities end, however, when she overhears Staphanie talking about taking out a target. Horrified, Meddy can't believe Staphanie and her family aren't just like her own, they are The Family--actual mafia, and they're using Meddy's wedding as a chance to conduct shady business. Her aunties and mother won't let Meddy's wedding ceremony become a murder scene--over their dead bodies--and will do whatever it takes to save her special day, even if it means taking on the mafia.
The aunties are back, fiercer than ever and ready to handle any catastrophe--even the mafia--in this delightful and hilarious sequel by Jesse Q. Sutanto, author of Dial A for Aunties.
Four Aunties and a Wedding (Aunties, #2) by Jesse Q. Sutanto
on 29/03/2022
Pages: 293
Goodreads
Book 2 takes place a little while after the events of the first book. And the plot is, if that’s even possible, even more ridiculous haha. I had a lot of fun with this one and laughed at so many of the moments. The aunties were still over the top but I really enjoyed them! They are unapologetically themselves and I liked reading about them a lot.
Meddy made some choices I didn’t understand or liked and overall I don’t love her as a main character to be honest. Nathan was barely in the book so the romance wasn’t really there either. So there were some elements of the book I didn’t like or would’ve liked to see done differently. But in the end, I did enjoy it! And I’m already looking forward to the next instalment in the series.
Overall I enjoyed both books a lot! It’s definitely something you need to be in the mood for. But when you want something fun and over the top, this is the series for you! Have you read one or both of these books? Are you looking forward to the sequel? Let me know in the comments!
