Thank you Avon Books, Julie Tieu and Netgalley for the eARC!

The Donut Trap follows recent college grad Jasmine Tran as she struggles to launch her adult life. She’s stuck working at her parents’ donut shop and living at home while her mom obsesses over why Jas is still single. When Jas reconnects with her old college crush Alex Lai, things start to look up until a disastrous dinner with their parents shows both Alex and Jas that maybe they aren’t perfect for each other after all.

The Donut Trap has been marketed as a romance but I truly think it’s more of a post-college graduation coming-of-age story. There were scenes where Jas was floundering in her post-college job search, frustrated by not knowing what she wanted to do with her life and the struggle of applying for jobs without experience, that caused me to have major flashbacks to my first few years post-college. I graduated from college in 2010 while the economy was still recovering from the recession and it was hard. I remember crying on the phone to my mom because I couldn’t seem to get an interview anywhere despite my college degree and high GPA. The author perfectly captured that struggle.

Overall I enjoyed this one. It was a cute escapist read that tackled real issues delicately. I am not the child of immigrant parents and so I can’t speak to that aspect of the book from personal experience but in my view I thought the author did a wonderful job of showing the tension between loving and respecting one’s parents who are hardworking immigrants and struggling to set out on one’s own path. I encourage you to seek out #ownvoices reviews of this book!

@lovearctually is hosting a chat for this one and a Zoom chat with the author and I’m looking forward to hearing what everyone else thinks of this one.

The Donut Trap is out November 2, 2021!

3.5/5 stars
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4303873831
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CVqYwnKv5NU/

I really enjoyed Julie Tieu's debut novel The Donut Trap. In this book Jasmine is working for her parents in their donut shop. She feels stuck and is trying to figure out what to do with her life. While this book does have a romance between Jasmine and her college crush Alex, it is so much more than that. It was the struggles between Jasmine and her traditional Asian immigrant parents that really made the book for me. I could feel the strong love Jasmine had for her parents and they for her even through the struggles. It was all very believable and well written. There were a few things that I felt were a little rushed, like Jasmine getting her new job and progression of her relationship with Alex, but overall it was a great read and a solid 4 stars for me.

My sincere thanks to Avon and Harper Voyager as well as NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book and give my unbiased opinion of it. I was truly impressed with this debut and look forward to what Julie Tieu does next.

Julie Tieu wrote an extremely relatable character in Jasmine Tran. Jas is working at her family donut shop after college while she figures out what she wants to do with herself. She is at a stand still when she meets Alex, someone from her past that was a fantasy for a while. These two get a second chance at a relationship and fall into step quickly as a couple.

The story explores not only Jasmine's relationship with Alex but also the unique family dynamics in a protective immigrant family who want the best for their children. I could definitely put myself in Jasmine's shoes and see much of the same things play out in reality. This was a fun low angst story about finding purpose and strength in family, work, love, and in oneself. I'm excited to see what Julie Tieu writes next!

A brilliant Own Voices debut that captures the uncertainty of life after college. I wanted to reach into the book to give Jasmine a huge hug and let her know that it’s ok to not have everything figured out at 22. I was rooting for her and Alex through the whole book.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy!

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC.

🌟🌟🌟💫 3.5/5 stars

An adorable debut romance about woman trying to find her way in life when she runs into her college crush. Jasmine has worked at her family’s donut shop her whole life and is expected to continue to fulfill her parents’ wishes (instead of her own). Her college crush, Alex, is seemingly perfect, but surprises Jasmine by not being what she expected. Now she just has to hope her family accepts him.

This was a sweet story that definitely leans more towards “women’s fiction” than romcom. Once I realized that, I enjoyed this tale of navigating life post-graduation much more. Jasmine’s family steals the show and I enjoyed that storyline. I’d prefer a leeetle bit more steam with the romance, but I found Alex to still be swoonworthy and fun.

Overall, The Donut Trap is a great debut by an author I will definitely be revisiting.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

i'm not the biggest fan of coming of age and 'slice of life' stories, but it is something that i want to get into more, in the future. but, i feel like that this book was just so weird. like, i think there was so much that was in jasmine's mind that just didn't make sense and i didn't really like, and also how she gets so crazy whenever a man comes into her life. and like she goes completely manic when she gets a crush on a man, like she put her job on the line to get some guys personal information, and like if the roles were reversed, i think it was just so weird and creepy. and like her life is written in this YA way, but with that early 2000s writing, which was just a clusterfuck. and like i think it was just so weird and random, and i lowkey hated it.

but, i do feel like jasmine did grow, which i did like and appreciate, with her finding who she really way, standing up to her parents, but i do think she got this pass for another things to happen. like, how she made people feel so weird and that she was just upset with Alex all the time. and i feel like so much of the romance was a mess, with the conflicts and there was just so much happening with the plot and how jasmine was growing, that the romance just took the back seat. and i mean, i feel like with this book, that after awhile, you just start to feel trapped with, and that there was so much happening.

THE DONUT TRAP – Julie Tieu

Avon

ISBN: 978-0-06-306980-0

November 2, 2021

Contemporary Romance



Los Angeles, California -- Present Day

After graduating from UCLA, Jasmine Tran is unhappy that she isn’t working a regular job, though she is employed at her parents’ donut shop. She’s not even sure she can call herself an employee there since she is still under their thumbs, and they only recently started paying her. After a bad senior year in college, Jasmine feels as though she owes her parents, yet she doesn’t want to work in the donut shop for the rest of her life. Her mother, on the other hand, calls her lazy and says the only thing she should be doing is looking for a husband. One day, her best friend Linh calls and they begin to discuss Linh’s (and her boyfriend’s) new roommate. Okay, the last thing Jasmine needs is to be set up on a date with a guy she isn’t sure is the right one. Later, looking on Linh’s Instagram, Jasmine spots a familiar face—a guy she met while she was a ticket agent during college. Turns out the guy—Alex Lai—is the new roommate. She had fantasies about Alex during the short time they would encounter each other. What are the chances…?

Of course, being friends with Linh invariably leads to Jasmine meeting (again) Alex. They click, yet she isn’t sure that there could be anything between them. He’s successful and close to his mother, which should be a plus in her book, yet Jasmine has self-esteem issues. Does she deserve a guy she really likes? Her mother and father might not approve of him. Surely that has to matter. Then there is the issue of being stuck in a rut working in her parents’ donut shop. They really need her help and if Jasmine gets a job, will it doom the business since it is just the three of them working there? Jasmine has plenty of friends to help her out and she is hesitant at first in submitting job applications. Her lack of confidence in herself helps bring her down. Linh assists in sprucing up her resume after a potential job opens up. Does she have a chance to get it?

Meanwhile, an old boyfriend from high school, Michael, re-enters Jasmine’s life. They secretly dated back then because her parents didn’t approve of him, and they ended things when high school ended. Now Michael is ready to pick things up again, but Jasmine isn’t so sure, especially since Alex is hovering in her eyesight. Suddenly she has a choice to make as to which man she should spend time with. Alex is her choice, but is he Mr. Right? Her parents liked him at first, yet they are skeptical that he is the right choice. While Jasmine wants to pursue things with Alex, she ends up doing it on the sly.

THE DONUT TRAP is a coming-of-age type romantic tale featuring an Asian character growing up in a traditional family. Jasmine is totally a modern woman trapped in meeting her parents’ expectations of adhering to their traditional values. She respects them and doesn’t want to hurt them, but she can’t move ahead in her life if she continues to stay there. She also wants the shop to succeed, but first, she must convince them that they need to upscale their donuts. As Jasmine works to help her family and herself, she works on her self-esteem issues with a little help from Alex and her friends. By the end of THE DONUT TRAP, where will Jasmine be? Will Alex be a part of her future? Find out the answers by grabbing a copy of the intriguing and entertaining THE DONUT TRAP.

Patti Fischer

Romance Reviews Today
http://romrevtoday.com/

To my mind, the mother of the lead character was the best thing in this book. I was rooting for the daughter to get back with her ex-boyfriend instead of getting a HEA with the intended romantic partner. That shouldn't be the case in a romance. That said, it was interesting to read about a culture different from mine. I admired how this immigrant family had worked for success in America.

“The Donut Trap” by Julie Tieu
🍩 🍩 🍩🍩💫
Release Date: 11/2/21
Netgalley Arc 📱

Thank you Netgalley for this arc! I read this in two days and thoroughly enjoyed it! I thought it was a fun cute romance! I think I’m rating it so high because it wasn’t just a boy meets girl. Jasmine Tran is navigating her life after college with extreme pressure to be successful. She took a break after graduating to work in her parents Donut Shop. Sunshine Donuts was started after her parents came to American and it’s a comfort blanket for Jasmine. You can’t fail at something you know. Her parents are pressuring her to have a successful career and get married while she just wants to be left alone. When her best friend Linh and her boyfriend Owen bring Owen’s friend to the donut shop to steal her for a lunch away she feels an instant spark with Alex. Oddly enough she met him years ago while she was working the sports ticket booth and she always remembered him as the window guy. The one that she felt something, but didn’t meet him again to pursue it until now. Jasmine simple life becomes complicated as she’s trying to pursue this new relationship along with finding herself and fulfilling her needs.

The Donut Trap is Julie Tieu's debut novel that is sure to make you crave donuts.

Jasmine isn't sure what her next step in life should be after graduating from college, so she returns home to work at her parent's donut shop. To keep their family business, Jasmine comes up with a plan to increase sales and patrons. In the midst of trying out new donut combinations, Jasmine gets help from her old college crush Alex. As tensions rise with her parents against their relationship, the threat of the donut shop closing, and her old high-school flame emerging, Jasmine tries to find a solution to help her save her family and land herself a boyfriend.

Jasmine was sarcastic and awkward which helped me find humor in her inner monologues. I thought that Jasmine was relatable in trying to figure out a work-life balance. Jasmine's journey is one of growth and self-love as she navigates her family's expectations, love, life, and everything in between. Tieu touched on what it was like to be the child of immigrants and the family expectations to have a different life than your parents.

This was less on the romance side of things because it had a lot of subplots going on, and I wish that the romance had been more developed. I know some people can fall fast, but this one just felt like it was missing something for me. I will say that Jasmine's journey, in general, made up for it though. She learned to stand up for what she wanted and figured out what her next step in life was going to be, even if it wasn't what she would do forever it gave her somewhere to start.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC and Harper Audio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review

Fact: If you put the word "donut" in a romance title, I'm gonna read it. And if there's Asian main characters falling in love and eating donuts, then I'm gonna request it, review it, and buy it for friends. And oh hey look, the last romance I reviewed was Donut Fall in Love by Jackie Lau, so call me consistent.

I enjoyed the romance between Jasmine and Alex aka Window Guy, but the romance kind of fell into a secondary role after Jasmine's coming of age journey to finding understanding with her immigrant parents and craving out a new life for herself as a young adult. Her clumsy and flirty path to romance with Alex was sweet but there were so many real life obstacles that I just wanted Jasmine to get her act together before she actually got together with Alex.

Jasmine's internal monologues were at times sweetly cute and then stressfully chaotic, and this made her feel young, clueless, and spiraling. There were a lot of deeply personal issues on her plate, which I hadn't expected due to the fluffy title and adorable cover: her parents' fleeing Khmer Rouge, college drinking and drug use, her parents' push to keep their business going, her desperate search for a post-graduation job. The beginning part of the book, the meet-awkward between Jasmine and Alex, felt like a rom-com, and then things started to get heavier. Instead of Jackie Lau food porn vibes, this felt reminiscent of Suzanne Park's more introspective romances (which made sense when I saw the author thanked her in the acknowledgements).

3.75 stars.

This had to be the potential of cute story but the main character ruined the story for me. Not sure if it was her maturity level or self sabotaging ways but she was unlikable. I only read about 30% of the book, and skimmed the rest.

I'm a sucker for a book that's centered around food, and donuts? Yes, please! The characters were complex, original, and I found myself quickly becoming attached, and I loved that this romcom was from the perspective of an Asian-American family or refugees, a voice we don't often hear from, especially in this genre.

Jasmine is in a rut, working for her family's donut shop and lusting after a decades old crush. And when he suddenly reappears in her life, things get awkward. Add that to the fact that the donut shop isn't doing well, and you have a story rife with conflict.

I was invested from the beginning, and while I enjoyed it overall, I found the writing to be less engaging and sometimes awkward. Still, a book worth picking up if you need something light and fun, or a palate cleanser.

This is a a sweet and hilarious about a new college graduate-- Jasmine. She wants to escape her job working at her parents donuts shop. I loved the family aspect in this one and felt it to be very realistic to what many young college grads feel after graduating. They want independence but also they are still young and may still need a tad of family support too. I did enjoy some of the pop culture references too. I liked the romance of it (of course!!). I would 100% recommend this book if you're looking for a fun read with great Asian representation!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for sending me an ARC of this book to review!

I will say this is more of coming of age with a romance than a pure rom com but I was hooked and related to Jasmine that I didn’t mind that at all.

Jasmine and Alex felt like a legit real life couple. In the sense that some book couples feel a little too perfect and shiny or have just the right quirk while Jasmine and Alex felt authentic - struggling to text, trying to find time for dates, being a different schedule.

I saw a lot of the same 20-something-post-grad-new-professional issues and doubts I (still) have and am trying to navigate. Like Jasmine, I always get the well intended but many questions on my dating life from my mom; but more like Alex, I am so guilty of working too much and never responding to texts 😬

I was so nervous at times if Jasmine and Alex would get their happily ever after or if family, insecurities, ex-boyfriends, and life would be insurmountable!! But without any spoilers, I think you’ll like the ending 😉

Read if you like:
🍩 Reuniting a meet cute from college
🍩 20-something finding her path
🍩 Complicated but tight family ties
🍩 Best friend’s boyfriend’s coworker and roommate
🍩 Family ran business
🍩 DONUTS!!

The Donut Trap’s publish date is quickly coming up - November 2!! So make sure to pick up @julietieuwrites debut novel next week 💓

Thank you @netgalley and @avonbooks for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Let's get this out of the way I think this book should be marketed as contemporary fiction with romantic elements. The relationship between Jas and Alex is secondary but still an important part of the overall storytelling.

Now, that that is out of the way, I smiled and cried throughout reading this book. Though, the first 10 chapters were a bit of a chore to get through but I think it was possibly done to get us (the reader) to lean into why there is tension in the Tran household. What I will say is that this immigrant story, the weight of being perfect and stable really resonated with me. The horrors Jas's parents experienced to get America was a subtle but loud message throughout this book. The stakes were high- a stable job and marriage was a form of success. These two things were the only way Jas's parents could and would define success (until) and an indication their decision to leave was the right one.

I think what was really important and key to this book was the anxiety of not knowing- what's next for your life after graduation while high school and college friends and family were moving forward but you're stuck. This not knowing what's next and nagging parents just added to the tension. Thankfully Jas takes a leap of faith to push her family's donut shop to try new things (adding new flavors and using social media) and also taking a chance on work and love. By the end everything comes full circle.

In the end, the romance though is a semi love triangle from ghost of ex boyfriend past (Michael) and current boyfriend (Alex). It was a bit clunky like why is this happening but if I had to guess, it was necessary to add another element to Jas's character specifically not speaking up for herself or creating boundaries. In both cases, she had to verbalize her wants and fears. Btw Alex is top tier boyfriend material because he is sweet and brings Jas snacks. A character after my heart.

The other thing that I think that needed to be unpacked more was Jas working through self worth issues (looks and value for others). Linh (her bestie and I hope gets a book) is there to remind her of who she is and catches her when Jas is at her lowest. There's a tender moment at the airport where I thought yeah this exchange really captures friendship really well.

CW/N: refugee (seeking asylum due to war in Cambodia- possibly PTSD), translating English for parents as a child, complicated family dynamics, academic pressure, alcohol and drug use/abuse (leading to hospitalization), having sex under the influence, signs of depression (parents and Jas)

The Donut Trap was a sweet and funny read- a new adult coming-of-age story about Jasmine, a young woman who's recently graduated from college trying to escape her current job at her parent's donut shop and their pressures, as well as handling a new relationship with an old college crush. i really enjoyed the family aspects of this book- the diaspora parenting felt very realistic and nuanced in a way that showed how both Jasmine and her parents did wrong things, and how they learned to communicate with each other. Jasmine's narration was also funny and engaging, even if some of the pop culture references felt dated. the romance wasn't my favorite, but the other aspects of the book definitely made up for it! all in all, i enjoyed this book and would recommend it!

thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book for this honest review!

Jasmine is stuck, working at her family donut shop after college, with no idea what field she wants to work in while all of her other friends are thriving. Until she runs into her old crush Alex. While their relationship blossoms their parents don't see eye to eye putting a strain on their relationship.

I really wanted to love this book but it just didn't hit it for me. I loved the representation of Chinese and Vietnamese characters and their struggle as immigrants. I also really related to her struggle with her family. I think we can all related to not living up to our parents expectations and the miscommunications there are when you try and meet their expectations instead of your own.

I had a hard time with Jasmine. She felt immature. I related to her trying to keep the plates all spinning, but something about her just bugged me. Maybe it was her communication with Alex? I don't know. The way Alex stuck around even though he was way more interested in her and if someone treated me the way Jasmine did, I probably wouldn't have stuck around. Alex was like the perfect guy and Jasmine was running the whole time. Their relationship went super fast even though they like never did anything. Lastly there was this side plot of something happening to Jasmine her senior year and while it was hinted at and then it appeared she was in the hospital the plot point never really got fully plotted out. It felt like something last minute that never got resolved.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.

Full disclosure: The Donut Trap is less a pure romance, and more so a coming-of-age story with romantic elements. That’s not to say it’s not worth reading, especially if you go in with that mindset early on.

I really liked the exploration of the family dynamics between Jasmine and her parents. The book touches on the divide that often exists between immigrant parents and their children who were raised in the US. Her parents expect certain things, and she struggles in meeting them, but I love that she also acknowledges what they went through to ensure she had a happy life.

This feeling of being lost in the shuffle as a new college graduate, losing contact with friends and seeing them prosper while you fall behind is incredibly relatable. I loved seeing her find her feet. While some elements of this process are a little unrealistic, this is one area in which wish-fulfillment is absolutely welcome.

I had mixed feelings about the romance. If I wasn’t aware beforehand that it wouldn’t be the main focus, I’d have felt very disappointed. Don’t get me wrong, Alex is a lovely character. He and Jasmine have lovely interactions, and I feel like there was room for him to have some great conflict and growth, what with his issues with his own mother. However, he isn’t fleshed out super well, and he even disappears for a good portion of the book. And the book definitely centers Jasmine’s personal growth and relationship with her parents more than the romantic arc.

I really liked this book, and am excited to see what Julie Tieu writes next. If you’re into new adult/coming-of-age contemporary, you’ll like this book.

I devoured this book in one sitting. This was such a sweet romance novel! This is the first time my heart went out for every character in a romance novel. I loved the banter, the main character (#TeamJasmine), and, most of all, the representation in this novel. Jasmine's relationship with her parents really hit home for me.

Full review to be posted on Instagram @movedbyprose on November 2, 2021 (publication day).