If you haven’t read Dial A For Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto or my review of that genre-blending novel, then this review might not make a lot of sense to you. Four Aunties And A Wedding is not a novel that plays well as a standalone. There are several references to the first book that aren’t fully explained in the sequel, so I’d recommend starting with Dial A For Aunties.
That disclaimer serves multiple purposes. It’s also a warning that if you didn’t read the first book, this review of the second book will spoil a few things from the first.
You’ve been warned.
Four Aunties picks up a little while after Meddy and her aunties tried to get away with hiding a dead body at an island wedding. Now, she’s engaged to her college sweetheart, Nathan. They are preparing for their destination wedding in England, when the Aunties surprise Nathan and Meddy by picking out another wedding planning family as vendors. Meddy develops a friendship with her photographer, and invites her on the bachelorette party, but when Meddy turns back to give Staphanie a thank you gift, she overhears details that send everything spinning out of control once again.
Staphanie and her family are mafia, and they plan to take someone out at the wedding. Staphanie warns Meddy that if she calls off the wedding or tells Nathan, Staphanie will tell the police about the man Meddy accidentally killed before.
There are so many ‘she’ characters in this, it’s kinda difficult to keep it all straight. Lol. And that’s not even factoring in the aunties and Nathan’s mom and Staphanie’s grandmother.
Anyways, Meddy’s mother and aunties are up to their usual hot mess express activities. They really do mean well, but come off as crazy. Their British slang classes and Komodo dragon fascinators are chief among things embarrassing Meddy. But she also knows they will jump in to help her thwart a murder at her wedding, if only just to prevent any curses on Meddy having kids…. because, priorities.
I still love the Indo-Chinese representation in these books, but it is more far-fetched than the first one. The things that happen as they try to prevent a murder are just a bit too ridiculous. Okay, it’s a lot ridiculous. It’s a fun read, but there’s zero way I’m buying any of it as plausible in real life. Miscommunications and misjudgments happen, but rarely on this level of wacky. I mean, multiple drugged Indo-Chinese aunties trying to take down the mafia at a wedding without raising suspicions is daggum near impossible.
Meanwhile, poor Nathan is over there, happy to be married but knows his new wife is lying to his face. He knows she’s in trouble but is struggling with the sting of being left out, even though she’s really just trying to protect him. It is a whole mess and it ties heavily into the first book.
In the end, Four Aunties And A Wedding is entertaining in its lack pf plausibility. I’m a wee bit paranoid about a potential third book mixing babies with hiding another dead body or something. That doesn’t sound like a great combination, but I can feel it coming anyways. It’s going to be ridiculous if it happens, so keep an eye out.
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