Publication date: 27 April 2021
Published by: Berkley Books
Genre: Contemporary Fiction (Romance with dark humour)
Synopsis
Meddelin Chan spends most of her time in the company of older women: her mother and her aunts (they run a family business together in the wedding trade). She is single and has not been in a romantic relationship since she left college. Her mother and aunts are not even aware that she has ever had a boyfriend, as she kept her college relationship, the only romantic one she has had, a secret from them. Meddy's mother becomes so concerned about her daughter's single status that she decides to find her a boyfriend.
When Meddy discovers that her mother has arranged for her to go on a blind date, she reluctantly agrees. Unfortunately, she accidently kills her date, and in the panic, rather than call the police, she puts his body in the trunk of her car and takes it home to her mother. Her mother calls her aunts who come over immediately. Fearing that Meddy will be arrested and imprisoned for something that could happen to anyone, they hatch a plan to dispose of the body...
Genre: Contemporary Fiction (Romance with dark humour)
Meddelin Chan spends most of her time in the company of older women: her mother and her aunts (they run a family business together in the wedding trade). She is single and has not been in a romantic relationship since she left college. Her mother and aunts are not even aware that she has ever had a boyfriend, as she kept her college relationship, the only romantic one she has had, a secret from them. Meddy's mother becomes so concerned about her daughter's single status that she decides to find her a boyfriend.
When Meddy discovers that her mother has arranged for her to go on a blind date, she reluctantly agrees. Unfortunately, she accidently kills her date, and in the panic, rather than call the police, she puts his body in the trunk of her car and takes it home to her mother. Her mother calls her aunts who come over immediately. Fearing that Meddy will be arrested and imprisoned for something that could happen to anyone, they hatch a plan to dispose of the body...
My Review
First Impressions
The book cover definitely pops - it certainly got my attention. As someone drawn to dark humour, once I read the synopsis, I was sold.
The book cover definitely pops - it certainly got my attention. As someone drawn to dark humour, once I read the synopsis, I was sold.
The upside
This is certainly an original story. I've never read anything quite like it. I found it very amusing and highly entertaining. The aunties' plan to dispose of the blind date's body seemed simple enough, but naturally, their plan goes awry. In their attempt to get their plan back on track, a series of shenanigans ensue. I was hooked, keen to discover where the story would go, and how (the hell!) they were going to get out of the mess they created.
This is certainly an original story. I've never read anything quite like it. I found it very amusing and highly entertaining. The aunties' plan to dispose of the blind date's body seemed simple enough, but naturally, their plan goes awry. In their attempt to get their plan back on track, a series of shenanigans ensue. I was hooked, keen to discover where the story would go, and how (the hell!) they were going to get out of the mess they created.
The stuff about the aunties' sibling rivalry felt real, as was the weight of Meddy's burden resulting from this family's back story and her close family ties.
The downside
This is a romance, but I was not so convinced by it. I was willing to buy into to idea that Meddy remained single since graduation, pining for Nathan (the one that got away all those years before). But there is no way Nathan, who by the author's description is the perfect eligible bachelor, would have remained single (apart from a few blind dates) all those years. It's just not realistic. I felt not enough time and attention had been given to the romantic plot.
It is fair to say that the aunties, as characters, are a bit exaggerated and somewhat stereotypical.
The verdict
I would say certain aspects of the story needed a reality check. I'm happy to suspend my disbelief, but for me the best stories are ones that are feasible. If I am honest, by the time I got to the last few chapters I felt the plot twists and turns were verging on the ridiculous, and I was a little disappointed by that. Even so, I don't regret reading this book. In fact, I really enjoyed it.
I suspect that this story being made into a movie is a matter of when, not if.
There is a sequel coming out on 29 March 2022, and I intend to read it.
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