1 (accidental) murder
2 thousand wedding guests
3 (maybe) cursed generations
4 meddling Asian aunties to the rescue!

Family is important to Meddy Chan. She chose to join their wedding business rather than following her boyfriend across the country. She’s never been able to find anyone that lives up to him, but when her mother starts meddling in her love life, Meddy ends up having little choice to go on a date she’s set up. Unfortunately, she accidentally kills her date, and on the night before a big wedding. One thing leads to another and she turns to her family for help getting rid of the body.

Dial A for Aunties was a ridiculous delight! It’s pretty rare for me to laugh out loud at books, but Jesse Sutanto managed to elicit multiple laughs through this madcap rom-com.

Hysteria rises from deep in my stomach and I have to swallow it. Trust Ma to take pride in my etiquette when I’ve just shown her my date, whom I’ve killed, in the trunk of my car.

The women in Meddy’s family are cursed. First it was Chinese curse, the men in their lives fated to die before their time, but since moving to California the curse now just makes all the men leave them. This is partly why Meddy so easily gave up the love of her life, who we meet through flashbacks to her college days. Despite her closeness to her mother and three aunties, she never told them about him. So of course, they assume she’s just terrible at dating, and her mother decides to impersonate her on a dating site…leading to the aforementioned death. Her mother’s use of the aubergine emoji is just priceless.

Growing up, my cousins called me Meddlin’ Meddelin, which is why I never, ever meddle in anyone’s business, ever. Well, that and also the fact that my mother and aunts meddle enough for the whole family.

The hiding of the body is the main purpose of the book, but there is also a second chance romance, if only Meddy can avoid getting caught. In a series of unfortunate events, the body ends up at the wedding, and they run round trying to save the event whilst coming up with ideas for the body. It’s a riot!

Meddy and her family are Chinese-Indonesian, as are their clients, so we get to see some of their wedding traditions when things aren’t going wrong. There’s a lot in it about family obligations and loyalty, but it is kind of heart-warming how that translates into their matter-of-fact help with the body. They never doubt Meddy that it was self-defence and they don’t bat an eyelid at the situation. They are awesome aunties, even if they have their own sisterly rivalries.

If you need a book to make you laugh right now, go out and get this.

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