As a girl from the San Gabriel Valley who is leaving college and moving back home with her parents in a few months, a lot about this book resonated with me. I really appreciated the focus on who Jas was as a character rather than just her relationship with Alex. I definitely feel like certain pacing could've been better if done differently, but I'm not gonna lie - this book hit way too close to home while feeling fun.

This book was not my cup of tea.
I prefer whirlwind romances with couples who are madly in love and are willing to do anything for their significant other. This story is not that.
Both the hero and heroine are Asian and their culture heavily influences their life and who they are to the point that the story felt like it was about their individual lives and not finding each other. This is not a bad thing. I was just looking for a lighthearted romance more so than a story about a woman figuring out what she wants to do with her life after college while dealing with parents who are overly critical and demanding. The hero just seemed to *happen* to be there instead of the story being mainly about their romance.
It was well written and had very good representation. There are a ton of current pop culture references that probably won’t hold up as well ten years down the line. However, for now, they are amusing. I just was looking for something different.
While I was not a huge fan, I would recommend this book to someone who likes chick lit and stories about women where romances are present, but secondary to the heroine’s life.

This book has been marketed as a rom-com, but it is absolutely light on the com. It's a slice of life so realistic as to be mundane, with a main character who has no ambition or interests by her own declaration, so it was almost impossible to care about her or her lackluster suitors: one underdeveloped and one too perfect other than making a mistake he's overly punished for by someone who would and did do exactly the same thing. Getting through this book wasn't quite a slog, but I'm having difficulty finding a word more appropriate than "fine."

I do want a donut though.

This was a cute book - Julie was an amazing main character to follow. I loved her much more than any of the romantic interests in her life.

I really enjoyed this book. The main character,Jasmine,is the kind of person that you want to be best friends with. She’s funny and maybe a little dorky. And Alex, the love interest, is hot, sweet, and totally adorable - a guy you really would crush on for years after running into. They have a meet cute in college and then are awkwardly reunited through a mutual friend. Family drama on both sides ensues, and for the most part it feels very legit. You cheer for them throughout the book. The only thing I didn’t love was when we learned about Jasmine’s past. It was alluded to throughout the book, but when you learn, it doesn’t really ring true to what we’ve learned about her. It just feels a little flat and undeveloped. Otherwise, I really enjoyed the characters and story of this book, and learning a little bit about what it’s like to be part of a first-or second-generation American family.

The Donut Trap is deeply charming rom-com that left me hungry for some donuts !

This is perfect blend of family and romance which I find is a really hard thing to balance in a romance books.
The dynamic between Alex and Jasmine had me literally grinning from ear-to-ear at points. (What can I say? I'm a sucker for good banter.) Jasmine was such a great narrator and had great humor I love. Also,their romance was adorable.
Julie Tieu writing flows and shines with grace and I highly recommend this heartwarming debut filled with captivating characters and an enjoyable plot.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for an honest review.

I just loved this. All of it. Romance, complicated family relationships, food, donut jokes, and the intimate representation of a 1st generation Asian American family. Overbearing aunties, pushy besties, social media, and innovative pastry trends. The Donut Trap has it all!

Jasmine Tran works more than full time at her parents’ donut shop, even as she feels the pressure to get a job and a husband. Her ever-supportive best friend Linh has found the perfect guy, and he just so happens to be Jasmine’s college crush, Window Guy. Simultaneously over- and under-employed while she tries to find herself, Jasmine juggles dating, donuts, and family dynamics in this showstopping debut.

Tieu expertly explores diasporic family dynamics in a high-pressure setting. Jasmine’s parents struggle with balancing her integral position at the donut shop and giving her space to move forward with her life. The representation of Jasmine, who never seemed to fit in anywhere, is insightful. She and Window Guy (real name Alex Lai) have much in common this way, but very different life experiences. The relationship between Jasmine and her work-hard parents is complex while she strives to prove herself, find herself, all while dragging the donut shop into the 21st century with Instagram-worthy offerings.

I am VERY picky about my romance, but this I loved. I caught myself grinning throughout. Sweet, not saccharine. Jas is adorkable without being annoying. Alex is smoking hot without being hollow. Their romance is funny, bumpy, and nuanced, making their budding love story one well worth reading.

A full cast of strong characters carry this charming story to the next level making the Donut Trap my favorite book of the year so far! 🍩🍩🍩🍩🍩

Thanks to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Do you ever find yourself stupidly grinning while reading a book? That was this book for me! Within the first ten minutes of starting this book, my husband looked over at me and said “wow you’re really enjoying that book aren’t you?”

Julie Tieu’s debut novel tells the story of Jasmine Tran, a recent college grad who is working at her parents’ mom-and-pop donut shop while trying to figure out who she is and what she wants to do with her life. After her parents receive a letter from their landlord saying that the rent for the shop is going to increase, Jas becomes determined to help her parents come up with a plan to increase the store’s profits to compensate for the additional rent: cue creative new donut flavors and a social media campaign.

While all of this is unfolding, Jas’ path crosses with those of two former love interests: one ex-boyfriend, and one missed connection, the latter of which she accidentally follows on Instagram after spending the evening stalking his profile (it happens to the best of us). As Jas figures out her love life, she also struggles to figure out who she is and who she wants to be, realizing that she doesn’t want to work at her parents’ donut shop for the rest of her life.

There is so much more to this plot, but I don’t want to accidentally give away any spoilers, so I’ll stop at that!
There was seriously so much to love about this book, though. All of the characters were so well-developed and lovable. Jas was endearingly awkward, in a super relatable way; her dad was adorable, frequently leaving post-it notes for his children with sad, angry, or happy faces to let them know how he was feeling about their decisions; Jas’ mom was overbearing, but from a place of love and desire for her daughter to succeed; Alex didn’t always make the best decisions, but he was driven by his desire to make his mom proud; the list could go on, but the main point is, there was not a single character that I felt needed more backstory or development, which is an incredibly impressive feat. Tieu also does an incredible job revealing her characters’ flaws, making them all that more relatable. Anytime a character did something, we have enough backstory to know why the character made that decision instead of being left thinking, “this is so unreal. Nobody would ever act like that.”

The plot was new and refreshing (and also included donuts!) and kept me engaged from the very first page to the last. Tieu also weaves in important, deeper topics throughout the book: family dynamics, drug/alcohol abuse, identity issues, immigration, and so much more. But, importantly, she does this in a way that amplifies the overall plot, rather than detracts from it.

In sum, there was SO MUCH to love about this book. Tieu is an incredibly talented writer, and I can’t wait for her to write more books! In the meantime, I enjoyed this book so much that I am definitely going to be buying a hardcopy when it comes out as well!

My reviews can be found here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3923545796 and here: https://www.instagram.com/p/CNVUl-_Lcp7/

Absolutley charming! A must-buy for collections where contemporary romance and lighter women's fiction is popular.

3.5 STARS

I think my expectations for this were different than the delivery. It’s billed as a romantic comedy in the blurb, but I would actually categorize it more as new adult/women’s fiction/chick lit. Specifically, I would say the readership for this book is adults who enjoy YA (I’m one of them!).

I enjoyed the growth and emotional journey of Jas. This story really focused on her relationship with her family and the dynamic and expectations of her parents.

The romance in this book was secondary (maybe even third), because it was so tied to the family expectations (which was ever present) and then there was the love triangle element hinted upon as well.

In the end, it was an enjoyable read and the characters were fun and had a great amount of depth. Oh, and I love donuts so that was a huge plus!

Thank you netgalley for the advance readers copy.

You donut want to miss this fun and relatable own-voices rom-com from Julie Tieu (I will never apologize for puns). Jasmine Tran feels stuck after graduating from college and moving back home with her parents. She spends every waking hour helping her parents keep their donut shop afloat with no time for herself or friends. With no sense of direction and the mounting weight of her parents' expectations, Jas finds herself floundering. Then a rent hike threatens the family business and an old crush comes back into her life. Are these changes just the thing to help Jas (bear) claw her way out of her funk?

There were a couple of things I really enjoyed about this book. I loved getting to see Jas's family dynamics, and I related so hard to the feeling of being kind of lost after college. Tieu did a fantastic job of portraying the relationship between Jas and her parents. Jas's feeling of guilt and responsibility to her family were such an important part of this book and her growth. The directionless feeling that Jas experiences is something that I think is pretty relatable to most people in their early 20s. That fear of not knowing what to do when you graduate can be so overwhelming, and it's even harder when you're out of school and you still don't know. I think most readers will be able to empathize with Jas.

The romance aspect of this book was almost kind of secondary to me, but it was still enjoyable. Alex is a gem, even if he has some flaws. The witty banter between Jas and Alex definitely made me giggle more than once. I enjoyed watching their relationship develop, and I thought the romance was cute and fun, even if it wasn't the best part of the book to me. This is a closed-door romance, so there's not anything too spicy.

Thanks to Netgalley and Avon/Harper Collins for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Enjoyable romance with diversity and donuts. Highly recommended as I loved the family dynamics and the diversity in this romance. Also I want donuts now too. This author is a fresh new voice in contemporary romance and I can’t wait to see what she writes next.

I really enjoyed the journey of The Donut Trap, but the ending was kind of lackluster for me. I liked the characters a lot but I wanted more for Jasmine by the end.

A fresh and compelling story about complicated families, parental expectations, and finding your place in the world. Some great humor, mouth-watering donuts, and sweet characters. My only complaint was that the romance definitely took a serious backseat to Jasmine's struggles with her parents and with figuring out who she is and what she wants to do with her life.

3.8⭐️

Okay, donuts? Good. Figuring out how to express your feelings and grow with your family? Good. Finding a good looking boyfriend? Good.

That said, I struggled at the beginning because it was just too much of a struggling post-college student with way too much awkward tendencies. It was a bit cringe-y to read at first, before you get into her story.

This book does a great job mixing in the difficulties of growing up as a first generation American. How you’re separated from your parents, sometimes even by language barriers, while also being separate from your peers. Jas shows us what this can be like, and how it can impact as she navigates her post grad life.

Then there is Alex, who has a different immigration story, and yet one of the same. Something connecting them together. Their similarities add to the connection they feel—giving us that little bit of romance we needed.

Overall, it was cute and an easy read.


Thank you Netgalley and Avon/Harper Collins for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

As soon as I heard about this book when it was announced, I knew I had to read it! That desire turned out to be worth it because I absolutely adored this book. The Donut Trap follows Jasmine as she strikes up a romance with her old college crush, tries to keep her parents’ shop afloat, and most importantly, escape the donut trap.

A year after graduating from college, Jasmine Tran is back living at home, working at her parents’ donut shop. Although they continually nag her about finding a job and a boyfriend, she struggles to find something she wants to do, much as she hates working at the shop. Change comes when her friend Linh sets her up with her once college crush, Alex. Her parents disapprove of him, so she has to see him in secret while also helping keep the store afloat and trying to find another job.

From the very first page of this book, I was hooked. Jasmine’s voice shines off the page, and I heavily related to so many of her worries and experiences. She’s also so funny! You can’t help but root for her. This is Tieu’s debut, and I absolutely can’t wait to read more from her!

While this book is published as an adult title, I think it would benefit from also being shelved as new adult. Jasmine recently graduated from college and is struggling to find what she wants to do other than just leaving the donut shop. Also, this is a romance book and the romance is a major part of it, but it balances so many other things with the romance parts. I’ll try to expand on this in the rest of my review.

First, obviously, I adored the romance! It’s somewhat of a missed connection from college where Alex bought a ticket from Jasmine and she’s thought of him ever since. I loved that and also heavily related to the fantasizing about someone you had one minor encounter with, but hey, something came out of it here! Jasmine and Alex have such good chemistry; even though they have many obstacles, mostly parents’ disapproval and work commitments on both sides, they still made it work. They were such a joy to read, and I loved their scenes together. Also, Alex is the perfect love interest and I love him so much.

Again, the romance is a major part of this book, don’t get me wrong! But I also loved how prevalent Jasmine’s relationship with her family, her parents namely, and how she struggles with their expectations. Jasmine’s parents are typical refugee immigrants who toil endlessly trying to make a better life. The donut shop is evidence of that, and although Jasmine wants to leave so badly, she also feels guilty leaving them with so much work. However, she feels stifled there, feeling like she will never be able to leave.

I particularly liked how The Donut Trap depicts immigrant parents’ relationship with their children without being too heavy. Jasmine struggles with their expectations, yes, but she also knows what they’ve gone through and wants to help them. Their complex relationship is a weight on her shoulders but not necessarily one weighing her down. For many children of immigrants, this sort of multifaceted, tough love is just life and isn’t always the sole point of conflict in their life. Part of Jasmine’s inner conflict is how she is sabotaging herself in minor ways and has been for years, and I loved the complexity of her character and her dynamic with her parents and little brother.

Jasmine also falls into the “eldest daughter” role, evidenced by how much her parents depend on her in the shop but not on her younger brother Pat. It’s not necessarily something completely unfair, as they treat both children the same, but I really liked seeing her relationship with Pat and how he tries to reciprocate the care he’s seen from her over the years.

Jasmine and her family also live in an interesting intersection of cultures that I haven’t often seen depicted in fiction, much less in romance. They are ethnically Chinese, but her parents moved from Cambodia to Vietnam to live with relatives after the Khmer Rouge. Thus, they speak Mandarin, Khmer, and Vietnamese with each other, with Jasmine only having a basic grasp on all three. Jasmine’s best friend Linh is also Vietnamese-American, and she converses with Jasmine’s parents in Vietnamese. Alex is Chinese, having moved to the US as a child, and speaks perfect Mandarin, which her parents love (at first).

I will say that I mostly expected a light rom-com just from the summary, mostly because it sensationalizes some of the events in the book. I mean, everything described does happen but I feel like it plays everything up. Anyways, I got something so much more multifaceted and lovely on top of the cute romance that I expected. I don’t even think I’ve praised this book as much as I loved it, mostly because I’m still processing all of the feelings I have for it.

Witty and highly relatable, The Donut Trap was a story of love: romantic, platonic, and familial. I loved the voice and really related to the protagonist as she struggled to find her own dreams. The romance was also adorable. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about this book since I finished it. It’s definitely one that I’ll come back to, over and over again, and I really can’t recommend The Donut Trap enough!

Rating: 4.5-4.75 stars

Most of the times when I read a contemporary romance, I'm looking for a mindless, light read, so when I picked up The Donut Trap, I wasn't expecting anything more than a fun read. But you guys, this book. I had no plans today, but I didn't expect to spend 3 hrs falling into this donut trap but I did and it was great. As fun as the romance is, it doesn't really feel like the main attraction but this is still so good!

I don't usually try to rehash the synopsis but will in this case because the actual blurb feels a little misleading. Once upon a time, Jasmine Tran was a student working at a ticket booth when she met the one who got away. She and Window Boy flirted, but she never found him again even though she knew his name and illegally looked up his number. Fast-forward to the present, Jasmine is a college graduate working at her parents' donut shop while she tries to drum up business for the store and figure out what she's doing with her life. After accidentally following Window Guy on Insta during a late-night stalking sesh, Jasmine might finally get her mom to stop nagging her about finding a boyfriend. She just has to get over past insecurities and some parental disapproval first.

I know I said the romance isn't the main draw, but this has everything I want from a love story: a meet cute, a re-meet awkward, a relatable protagonist, and a love interest who's cute and witty. Jasmine was a big part of the reason I loved this so much. She's the type of character I'd be friends with in real life if she, you know, existed. We have the same sense of humor and the same penchant for nicknaming and internet stalking guys (the accidental follow is a real fear I have), and Window Guy Alex is cute and witty and such a sweet love interest. Like, if a real-life Alex Lai shows up on my doorstep one day, I'm not complaining 😉

As fun as all that stuff was, I really liked the overall tone of the story. For a romance novel, the complex family relationships are done so well. I really like the depictions of the immigrant/second-gen cultural differences and language challenges, and I love the relationship Jasmine has with her little brother. They feel genuine, and I love that they aren't picture-perfect but still heartwarming. Seriously though, I feel like the romance was secondary to the Tran family relationships 😍😭

Some little things that I didn't love: 1) Jasmine's secret backstory: throughout the book, Jasmine alludes to this awful past with some guy that's made her wary of love and when it's finally revealed, it feels a little anticlimactic. I feel like it either needs to be developed more and incorporated into the story better or taken out because it feels like there's a bit of a disconnect between the build-up and the actual delivery.
2) The language: I have this pet peeve when non-English languages are awkwardly incorporated into a narrative. For the most part, non-Chinese-speaking readers should be able to figure out the Mandarin based on contextual clues, but there's one scene when Mama Tran is mad and has a few sentences all in Chinese. Translation is provided in parentheses, but I just feel like it breaks up flow of the dialogue and doesn't add much to the story. I don't know if it'll feel redundant for non-Mandarin readers, but like either be okay with English readers not understanding without looking it up or do something like provide context through Jasmine's responses or say she's speaking in Mandarin and just give the translation. Again, this is a super specific pet peeve of mine, but I have a feeling that one scene might bother other readers too.

I loved this book. I've been wanting to read this book since I saw the announcement of the book synopsis on Twitter or Instagram. I knew that this was going to be an own voices read for me.

If I thought that A Pho Love Story resonated with me because of how much I saw myself in Long and Bao's family struggles, then it's nothing compared to how much more of myself I see in The Donut Trap.

From the first paragraph, where Jasmine describes why people go to Sunshine Donuts, I saw myself.

The running of the donut shop, the regulars. The family dynamics of multiple languages, but not being proficient in any (in the case of my family, it's mainly Cantonese, and Khmer; my parents also speak Mandarin and Teochew fairly fluently).

The resentment and monotony of working at the donut shop. Jasmine's struggles to find her passion. The ways she and her friend Linh built up her resume.

For me, the romance in this book is very secondary.

The character of Alex is a bit flat/under developed. I could have used more scenes with him on the page. Most of their interactions are through text messages, and Jasmine thinking of him, since Alex is busy at work. However when it was the two of them on the page, it was fabulous. Especially their first official date. And the story of how they met.

It's low angst, low steam, closed door romance. Think of it in terms of a YA romance novel with adult characters (Jasmine and Alex are 22-23 years of age). There's kissing, some make out sessions, but not much else. Which is completely understandable cause Jasmine lives at home with very concerned parents.

The story didn't really need what happened to Jasmine during her senior year at UCLA. To me, it didn't add any value. It didn't take anything away either. Maybe if more time was spent on the incident in some way throughout the story. My other criticism is that there are two? Maybe three conversations that are in what I believe to be Mandarin that are translated in parentheses. I wish that the translations would be more contextual like it is in the rest of the book

Thank you Avon Books/Harper Voyager for the ARC via Net Galley. Just patiently waiting for signed book information before I figure out where to pre-order. Will be picking up a few copies to share.

Disclaimer: I got this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is perfect for fans of Kim’s convenience and David Yoon’s Frankly in Love! This is an #ownvoices rom com where protagonists Alex and Jasmine are working together at a donut store. Alex is Jasmine’s former crush and I loved all the family drama in this one!! This book is absolutely perfect and you will be craving donuts!!! Full review will be on pop culturalist closer to the review date!

This book was adorable! It was as sweet as the donuts it featured, and I never wanted to put it down. Only problem was that it had me craving donuts from start to finish!

My favorite part of this was definitely the setting. As someone who's grown up around family-owned donuts shops, I could picture the shop perfectly. It offered a super fun backdrop to the family drama we got to enjoy. I loved the way Julie Tieu wrote the family interactions, they were painfully realistic.

I also really loved the romance! Alex and Jasmine were the perfect couple, and their banter had me cracking up several times. I stayed up way too late reading this, all because I was so drawn in. Although i wasn't the biggest fan of the Michael drama, it felt unnecessary, it didn't detract from my love of the book.

If you're in the mood for a sweet romance, this is for you! It's full of donuts, family, and first love, and I'd definitely recommend this.

Thanks to Julie Tieu and Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!