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The Good, The Bad, and The Aunties

Jesse Q. Sutanto wraps up her popular series in hilarious and heartwarming fashion



The Good, The Bad, and The Aunties by Jesse Q Sutanto, the final book in the Aunties series, is out today!


In this final installment of the Aunties series, Meddy and Nathan wrap up their honeymoon by meeting Ma and the Aunties in Jakarta to celebrate Chinese New Year with their extended family. As you might expect, things do not go as planned.

This series is humorous with notes of heartwarming storytelling. Are the plots over the top? Yes, but I love escapist reads, so I suspend disbelief and join Meddy and the Aunties as they navigate their misadventures.


The core characters and their unwavering bonds are the big draw of this series. Despite their squabbles, the love is deep, and the stories show the absurd lengths they are willing to go for one another. They are literally "ride or die." I am in stitches with the Aunties' banter-filled and funny responses amid tense and dangerous situations that spiral hilariously out of control, with Meddy trying to manage the chaos. There's a lot of action in this one as they get tangled up with totally law-abiding, not mob bosses in Jakarta. Those poor, not mob bosses, don't stand a chance. All of the Aunties have big personalities, but Fourth Auntie stole the show for me in this one. And the end of this wraps up the series perfectly.

I alternated between the book and the audiobook. I previously listened to the first two books in the series, and Risa Mei does another stellar narration job here. Mei nails the comedic timing and personality of every character. I love how she embodies Meddy and simultaneously imbues her voice with exasperation and affection. Mei brought this book brilliantly to life, and I enjoyed listening to her.


Thank you to Berkley Books and Penguin Random House Audio for the free book and audiobook!


My steep was iced Mango Jasmine Oolong Iced Tea from Club Magic Hour a refreshing and fruity blend of green and oolong teas.



PUBLISHER'S SYNOPSIS:

What should have been a family celebration of Chinese New Year descends into chaos when longtime foes crash the party in this hilariously entertaining novel by Jesse Q. Sutanto, bestselling author of Dial A for Aunties.

After an ultra-romantic honeymoon across Europe, Meddy Chan and her husband Nathan have landed in Jakarta to spend Chinese New Year with her entire extended family. Chinese New Year, already the biggest celebration of the Lunar calendar, gets even more festive when a former beau of Second Aunt's shows up at the Chan residence bearing extravagant gifts—he's determined to rekindle his romance with Second Aunt and the gifts are his way of announcing his courtship.

His grand gesture goes awry however, when it's discovered that not all the gifts were meant for Second Aunt and the Chans—one particular gift was intended for a business rival to cement their alliance and included by accident. Of course the Aunties agree that it's only right to return the gift—after all, anyone would forgive an honest mistake, right? But what should have been a simple retrieval turns disastrous and suddenly Meddy and the Aunties are helpless pawns in a decades-long war between Jakarta's most powerful business factions. The fighting turns personal, however, when Nathan and the Aunties are endangered and it's up to Meddy to come up with a plan to save them all. Determined to rescue her loved ones, Meddy embarks on an impossible mission—but with the Aunties by her side, nothing is truly impossible…


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