Fun, flirty, and full of food! I enjoyed the read, but I wouldn't say it added anything entirely new to the romantic comedy genre. However, that's not always necessary for enjoyment, and enjoy it I did. Easy summer read.

(This review was written months after having read the ARC, after dealing with a period of some personal issues. Apologies for the tardiness as I catch up on the backlog of reviews.)

Like the artisanal donut Lindsay makes, this was light and airy and sweet, with just enough Asian flair to give it an extra oomph. She's a hot baker, and Ryan Kwok is a hot actor known for his abs. In order to bounce bake from a so-so rom-com, he's going to be a celebrity competitor on "Baking Fail," which requires him to learn the rudiments of baking from, you guessed it!

The conflicts weren't all that dire, and each had some issues with their parents (Ryan's dad who makes a Twitter account that has several viral tweets is hilarious in his obtuseness), but overall, I didn't really find much meat in this relationship. Besides each of them being hot, I really didn't get any actual personality really other than "nice," which is fine but maybe not a defining characteristic.

That really is my biggest complaint though because I kept finding my mind wandering while reading this book, other than when there were detailed instructions on how to bake stuff. Just empty calories.

This story was lovely, however I read it during the holidays as a bookseller and was TOO BUSY to write up a review in a timely manner. I want to follow Ryan Kwok's dad on Twitter! This pairing was adorable, and the added layers of grief and celebrity gave them a multi-faceted relationship arc.

This was cute but the tension between the characters felt a bit forced and weak; it struggled to drive the rest of the book after they got together (which happened before the 50% mark).

It was still enjoyable though! And I’ve got a thing for baking in romance books so I adored that.

A cute book that makes you incredibly hungry with adorable characters! I do wish there was a bit more romance, but ultimately it was a fun read.

Donut Fall in Love was probably one of the cutest books I have ever read. The title and cover hook you in, but the story was just as good! I loved the characters and all the shenanigans. I loved when Lindsay was teaching Ryan how to bake and I loved loved loved Ryan's dad on twitter. This story was so hilarious and fun and I highly recommend it!

Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for sending me and ARC in exchange for an honest review. I tried this book a couple of times and honestly couldn’t get into the plot. The writing was well done, the story just wasn’t catching my attention. I think I had a difficult time connecting to the characters in the story. It just wasn’t the book for me.

Thanks Again!

I had really high hopes for DONUT FALL IN LOVE, but unfortunately all I'm left with is a donut craving.

I did enjoy the Asian representation and the discussion around the roles they have historically played in Hollywood - and the movement towards better, more authentic representation in the media. However, the writing seemed choppy and cheesy (and not in the way I like my rom-coms.)

At least it has a cute cover!

Thank you to Netgalley for my #arc

Slow burn with very low conflict. Both main characters dealing with grief over the loss of a parent and figuring out what their diminished families look like and how they can function. Not too much conflict, slow burn, spicy. I enjoyed it, although it made me want donuts:)

I didnt love this one. I think it had some important themes on grief, and family but overall the romance of it all didnt do it for me. It felt very superficial, and I just didnt feel the connection between the characters.

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Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book! The title and this beautiful cover drew me in and i was excited to read this book! I will be recommending this book to others for readers advisory.

Not my cup of tea. DNF'd pretty early but that may have been more based on me not wanting to read it during the time rather than my dislike for the book. A very cute cover!

Baking books are my jam and I loved this one! Overall enjoyable and cozy with easy characters to relate to. If you love reality tv/baking and romance, this is your book!

This was a cute rom-com. It was a little light on the romance for my taste but I felt like the backstories of the characters made up for that and the subplots were interesting. I also enjoyed the baking and baking competitions scenes a lot though it made me hungry for donuts, cupcakes and cakes!! I also enjoyed that the characters were Asian - I think they need more representation in books, especially romance. Is this the best romance book I've ever read? No but it was a good read and kept my attention. Definitely worth a read for any lover of love!

This was a cute book!!! Man comes ruining what girl has going on promises to make it up to her only to ask her a favor resulting into a not-so-forced situation, only to fall in love? Signed me up! Lindsay and Ryan are super cute and I LOVED ALL THE DONUT MADNESS!

Escape into Contemporary Romance - Shelf Awareness for Readers, February 8, 2022
Novels increasingly have been for me both escape from and heartbalm for the difficult realities that surround us right now. With Valentine's Day around the corner, these contemporary romance novels offer an escape into stories with guaranteed happy endings, even if the path to get there might be fraught.

Rachel Lynn Solomon managed to pack a full list of romance tropes into her hit novel, The Ex Talk; in her newest, Weather Girl (both Berkley, $16), she plays with the second-chances trope, as a meteorologist and a sports reporter at a local broadcast station hatch an unlikely plan to get their divorced bosses back together. Jasmine Guillory (The Wedding Party; Party of Two) plays with the "fake dating" trope in While We Were Dating (all Berkley, $16); movie star Anna Gardiner and colleague Ben Stephens really are sleeping together, after all, even though the relationship they agree to put on for the paparazzi is just for show--at least, until their feelings become all too real.

In Love and Other Disasters (Forever, $15.99), the first openly nonbinary contestant on a competitive cooking show develops unexpected (and inconvenient) feelings for another contestant. Exploring topics of identity and sexuality with heart, Anita Kelly's debut is a must for any romance reader with an interest in Top Chef-style shows (or vice versa).

Donut Fall in Love by Jackie Lau (Berkley, $16) boasts a movie-star romance and a competitive cooking show, as hot-shot Ryan Kwok preps for his upcoming participation in a charity baking challenge by taking lessons in baking--and romance--from a local donut shop owner. The two hit it off as each navigates their respective grief over losing a parent, offering a heartwarming read for anyone who's ever thought about taking new chances in the wake of loss.

What is it about baking shows and cooking classes that is so incredibly soothing?

I was 100% here for these two, Ryan Kwok, famous-ish actor and Lindsay McLeod, baker extraordinaire. Set in Toronto Ryan is back in town having just wrapped up some promotion for his latest movie. He’s taking some time off and trying to decide what to do next. He’s asked to be on a celebrity edition of a baking show, and not wanting to make a fool of himself he asks a local baker for lessons.

Lindsay McLeod helps run her family’s bakery, where they specialize in donuts and she’s trying to convince her family that they need to modernize and raise their prices if they’re going to stay in business. When Ryan quite literally bumps into Lindsay in her store, spilling her painstakingly decorated creations all over the floor she isn’t exactly thrilled to be meeting him. She accepts his proposal for lessons though, and the two become close as they spend more time together.

I loved watching them both open up to each other, and learn more about themselves along the way. Plus, everything they were baking sounded so yummy. This was a really sweet (no pun intended, I swear) story and one you should add to your TBR if you haven’t already.

I always love a good sweet romance. I didn’t read anything that stood out to me but this was a good break from tough fiction and exactly what I needed at the time.

First of all, I know we are already in 2022 but I have finished reading this book somewhere in December. Yes I do realize I am late in sharing my thoughts. Anyway, back in 2021, I think this is the second book I had read that is related to donut which makes me freaking hungry for donut. Now, I think I'm craving for krispy kreme original glaze. Yummy!

Back to earth, back with the book. First thing first, I love that this book has an Asian representatives! I love that. Secondly, which is really obvious is - FOOD, DONUT! The story follows with Lindsay who is a baker and has her own bake shop while Ryan Kwok is a popular celebrity and he is taking a break back to his hometown in Toronto. In Toronto he met Lindsay when he accidentally knock into her with her donut at her bake shop. That's how it all begins.

I like the story but I didn't love how the story goes on. It just an average read for me. The story is so slow which I seriously like honestly wanted to skip the pages but of course, I did not done that because I'm afraid I might skip something good. Besides that, I didn't feel the chemistry between the two of them. I mean there is something is lacking somewhere especially on the romance and even the jealousy part doesn't feel anything on that.

However, I love the family dynamics portray in this book with Ryan and his father. I definitely heavily invested on that. Love how Ryan making a huge effort in trying to get close with his father. Those scenes really touched my heart.

Overall, it is an okay read. Love the food description, love the family relationship and the friendship but not so much on romance between Ryan and Lindsay.