Review: Dial A for Aunties

Title: Dial A For Aunties
Author: Jesse Q. Sutanto
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Berkley Books
Date Published: April 27, 2021
You can find it here: Bookshop.org

Goodreads Synopsis:

1 (accidental) murder

2 thousand wedding guests

3 (maybe) cursed generations

4 meddling Asian aunties 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 accidentally 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 their 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 cake 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?

Thoughts:

Dial A For Aunties is just a riotously good time, full of big laughs and a super-sweet, full heart eyes central romance to root for.

I did find it challenging to completely let go of the suspension of belief needed to fully enjoy this novel – I’m too big of a control freak for that – and the constant handling of a dead body just kept wigging me out, but the overwhelming pulse of this story beats with genuine heart and whip-smart humour. Not to mention it’ll make one hella-of-a good movie! I thoroughly enjoyed the all the familial dynamics & dramas, and the feisty, fighting, jealous, but always-got-your back Aunties definitely stole my heart … and left me desperately wanting a pack of hell raising Aunts of my own. If you’re someone who enjoys some maudlin humour and are looking for a different spin on the rom/com beach read, you’ll want to pick this up this summer! 

Read This If:

• Love the show Kim’s Convenience or the movie Weekend at Bernie’s … or better yet, a combination of the two 
• Looking for a light read that’s going to make you laugh out loud (you’ve been warned) 
• Are missing big family gatherings
• Need a smart, light, pallet-cleansing novel between heavy reads 

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