mature teen audio fiction rom-com (9 hr 40 min) 17 y.o. mixed race (Chinese-Indonesian/white) Sharlot is dragged from Los Angeles to Jakarta, Indonesia, after her single mom walks in on Sharlot and her boyfriend; George (Indonesian teen heir to billions) is obliged to find a girlfriend to protect the family's reputation.

cute teen romance with a lot of awkward moments and a lot of sweet ones, I love that Sharlot's mom gets a romance of her own. I got a little impatient with how long it took for the two leads to clear the air about their online meeting (similar to the one at the start of Dial A for Aunties but without the eggplant emojis), but overall enjoyed this and the two narrators were great as well. More please! ( )

Delightful book where I laughed out loud A LOT!

Sharlot Citra decides to "become a woman" with her boyfriend--only to change her mind, be caught by her mother, and be whisked away to her mom's home country of Indonesia for the summer. Her super sweet boyfriend only cares about her feelings and completely supports her two decisions. Sharlot's mother, on the other hand, feels appalled by her daughter's decision and feels Sharlot needs to connect with their heritage. Sharlot has no knowledge of her American father and little knowledge of her mother's heritage because her mother never tells Sharlot about her life. Needless to say, Sharlot's anger, directed at her mother, rules her for the beginning of the novel.

Meanwhile, George Clooney Tanuwijaya (you'll learn about Indo-Chinese names when you read the book) finds himself "satisfying his needs" when his father and 13-year old sister walk in on him. Be prepared to laugh--the scene is hilarious. George cares deeply for his family and offers kindness and respect to each of them. His interests are currently occupied by the company's new app (released to promote good will) called One Liner. It's to combat toxic masculinity and encourage people to see women are more than objects. George truly supports a more modern look at the world despite living in a very conservative and traditional society. He doesn't date because his family is filthy rich; the last girl he dated wanted to be seen, photographed, and to bask in the family name. George sees the money as belonging to the family; he didn't earn it and knows he is privileged.

With Sharlot and George "in trouble" with their families, the families decide to fix the problems. Sharlot's mom and George's dad and sister put their kids on the Share app to find a date. The text messages are so funny--two older, traditional Indo-Chinese people talking is nothing like teenagers would actually talk. Both George and Sharlot are appalled by the exchanges and have no desire to meet this person their families have selected. The meetup is disastrous. It's only because a tv crew shows up that George and Sharlot are considered a couple and must pretend to date.

It took longer to discover the truth than I expected in the novel, but I laughed aloud so many times, that I ultimately didn't care. It's a fun high school book about growing up, being respectful, recognizing that sexuality isn't a sin but that it does require respect and thought. The novel shows that there are different attitudes and expectations for males and females, making it harder to navigate freedom and growth. You'll also enjoy the secondary characters of Sharlo's cousin and George's sister. I thoroughly enjoyed the novel. ( )

I thought this again was a great unique read. I loved the setting and the unquie set up. I also loved both characters. It really was a laugh out loud funny read. I also really enjoyed how the parents cat fisehd their kids. It loved how this book was twist on fake dating and loved the convo that took place in this book. It had a royalty vibe a well as crazy rich asian vibe!! I would def read mroe books set in this world! ( )

I thought this again was a great unique read. I loved the setting and the unquie set up. I also loved both characters. It really was a laugh out loud funny read. I also really enjoyed how the parents cat fisehd their kids. It loved how this book was twist on fake dating and loved the convo that took place in this book. It had a royalty vibe a well as crazy rich asian vibe!! I would def read mroe books set in this world! ( )

After reading the flyleaf, I was glad the story addressed Sharlot's name right away! Sharlot is being raised by a pretty traditional Indo-Chinese mother who whisks her away to Indonesia for the summer after finding Sharlot alone with her boyfriend. They've never been back to Jakarta to visit family; it seems Ma left and didn't really look back. Siblings George Clooney and Eleanor Roosevelt Tanuwijaya round out the alternating chapters, with Eleanor and George's father thinking he needs to find a girlfriend. With the humor of Dial A for Aunties present, the parents begin chatting on an Indo app, leading to a humorous and uncomfortable first meeting between Sharlot and George. I loved the setting and the fun story of how the two begin to know each other better. All the characters are well placed--Sharlot's cousin Kiki can give Eleanor a run for her money, the various aunties play their roles and Sharlot's mother winds up revealing some secrets of her own. ( )