Around this time last year, I saw Dial A For Aunties by Jessie Sutanto everywhere. The book sounded hilarious, so I bought a copy and gobbled it up in a single night. When I saw that HQ Digital were doing a tour for Four Aunties and Wedding, I got so excited. This was a book that I knew I was going to read and would have been happy to get on the tour for.
So here I am!
Four Aunties and a Wedding is set a year or so after the first book. Meddy and Nathan have been together for a while, and now they’re getting married. Meddy’s aunties have to get involved, so they introduce them to a family of wedding vendors who Meddy can’t help but find the perfect choice. The months pass, and soon they’re in Oxford preparing for the wedding, and things start to go wrong. This family they’ve hired are the mafia, and they want to use Meddy’s wedding to take someone out. In a panic, she tells her aunts, and they work together to save the day.
This book was just as much of a wild ride as the first one was. The aunties really are so bizarre, but you can’t help but love them, murderous intentions aside. They do their best to try and fix things, and though that often winds up being embarrassing, you can still tell that they’re mostly good people.
What I do like about these books is the family element. I’m not Indo-Chinese, so I don’t know what it would be like to have that sort of close family dynamic, but it’s nice to see. Big Aunt is very much a grandmother-like figure, and she has a few emotional moments in this book. And though the sisters are prone to squabbling, you know they all love each other really. Siblings just love to try and one-up each other. The element I loved the most in this was Meddy coming to terms with the fact she is who she is because of her family. Throughout the first book, and this one, Meddy is always exasperated at her aunts. And I get why. They’re hard work and can behave very odd. But in this book, she comes to respect that they are who they are, and they’re proud of it and that she wouldn’t be who she was without them in her corner. Even if she does prefer things a little quieter.
For a book set during the protagonist’s wedding, I could’ve done with a little more romance. Nathan doesn’t get involved with the mafia stuff, so you don’t see him all that much. When you do, he’s obviously uncomfortable as he doesn’t know what’s going on. It was a little frustrating. I know why Meddy does what she did, but it kind of sucked to be Nathan on his wedding day.
I also wasn’t much of a fan of the mafia aspect. I knew that was in the book, don’t get me wrong. I just thought I’d like it more than I actually did. It wasn’t bad, just didn’t gel with in the same way as the accidental murder in the first book did. Fortunately, the characters were just as wonderful, so that saved it for me.
This was a fun and quick read. It’ll be perfect to take with you on holiday this summer. Just don’t be surprised if anyone looks at you weirdly as you’re laughing so much.
3/5 Stars
Title: Four Aunties and a Wedding
Author: Jesse Sutanto
Genre: Comedy/Mystery
Age Range: Adult
Publisher: HQ
Release Date: 29/3/22
BUY LINKS
Lace and Dagger Books 