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).

This one was a great story with lots of moving parts. Not simply a romance, but a story of moving on from the past, and confronting those who stand in the way of your future.

Jasmine loves at home and works for her parents at their donut shop. Her parents just want her to meet a nice Asian boy and get married, or get a job somewhere and move out. Jasmine never measures up to her perfect younger brother who has his life together, and is tired of working 70 hours a week to constant insults by her mother.

When a man comes back into her life from college, Jasmine starts thinking that maybe she can finally fulfill her parents' wishes, but she soon finds out that the perfect man doesn't exist, and that pleasing her parents might not ever happen.

There were funny moments in this book, and the interactions between Jasmine and Alex were fun and witty, but the most interesting part of this book for me was the relationship that Jasmine has with her mother. The two butt heads often, and mom oftentimes makes her opinions known in very hurtful ways. Nothing that Jasmine does seems to be good enough. Jasmine hates to argue or let her feelings be known because her parents have always worked so hard to give her what she needs.

I loved not only the romance in this book, but the various struggles that Jasmine has with being a person of color, and with her parents' values clashing with those of her own.

Thank you to Julie Tieu and Avon and Harper Voyager for sending me an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager and Julie Tieu for gifting me an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion!
.
QOTD: What’s your favorite donut flavor?
My A: classic glaze usually unless it’s a local donut shop called Hurtz Donuts. I think about their blueberry streusel donut at least once a week, I’m not even kidding.
.
First of all, can we just acknowledge this cover/title combo?! I’ve had this book waiting for me on NetGalley for MONTHS and I’ve been dying to read it just based on the cover alone! This was the perfect palate cleanser after reading a few meh reads. With banter, fun side characters and a whole lot of character growth, it would be hard not to like this book. I would’ve liked to see the plot a little more flushed out. I felt like we were *this* close to really being able to connect with the characters, but we never get to know them too deeply. This isn’t an issue so much as to say this book never felt too emotional for me in any way. I will warn you, though, don’t even bother starting this book without donuts around or be prepared to make a special trip to the bakery!
.
BLURB:
Jasmine Tran has landed herself behind bars—maple bars that is. With no boyfriend or job prospects, Jasmine returns home to work at her parents’ donut shop. Jasmine quickly loses herself in a cyclical routine of donuts, Netflix, and sleep. She wants to break free from her daily grind, but when a hike in rent threatens the survival of their shop, her parents rely on her more than ever. Help comes in the form of an old college crush, Alex Lai. Not only is he successful and easy on the eyes, to her parents’ delight, he’s also Chinese. He’s everything she should wish for, until a disastrous dinner reveals Alex isn’t as perfect as she thinks. Worse, he doesn’t think she’s perfect either. With both sets of parents against their relationship, a family legacy about to shut down, and the reappearance of an old high school flame, Jasmine must scheme to find a solution that satisfies her family’s expectations and can get her out of the donut trap once and for all.

The Donut Trap es una comedia romántica profundamente encantadora que me dejó hambriento por unas donas!
Esta es una mezcla perfecta de familia y romance que encuentro es realmente
Cosa difícil de equilibrar en un libro de romance.
La dinámica entre Alex y Jasmine me hizo sonreír literalmente. de oreja a oreja en los puntos. (¿Qué puedo decir? Soy un tonto para siempre bromear.) Jasmine era una gran narradora y tenía un gran humor. amor. Además, su romance fue adorable. La escritura de Julie Tieu fluye y brilla con gracia y yo
recomiendo este conmovedor debut lleno de cautivadores personajes y una trama agradable.
Un agradecimiento especial a NetGalley y Avon y Harper Voyager por compartiendo este ARC conmigo a cambio de una revisión honesta.

Part of me wonders whether my feelings about this book are related to how it's marketed: for an adult romance, it felt like it fell quite short. I didn't feel much of a spark between the main character and her love interest and was surprised every time she mentioned her feelings for him because I found him fairly generic - not to mention that there were so many signs that are typically associated with the romance novel boyfriend who is right on paper but not Mr. Right (working a lot/not prioritizing the relationship, not being supportive in front of his family, jealousy without proof of wrongdoing) that I thought that there might be a last minute twist.

However, even if it's a marketing issue, although the family and self-identity plots were a bit more interesting, those also seemed somewhat underbaked, perhaps due to main character Jas not having much of a personality. Although the book ends with her taking a next step, she still felt like she didn't actually have particular ambition or know herself much, which made it hard for me as a reader to know her. The supporting characters were fine, although Jas's mother and brother Pat was the only ones who really jumped off the page significantly for me.

The writing is fine, with one or two particularly clever moments, and it's a quick, fluffy read (that might get you in the mood for doughnuts!) but I can't help but wonder whether Dial A for Aunties, with its punchier writing style and bolder characters underpinning similar themes of self-discovery and familial commitment, might be a better recommendation.

This was sweet (pun intended lol)

I always love when I get approved of an author's debut novel. It's super fun and exciting because you really don't know what to expect.

For this story I think it was mainly about Jasmine. Yes, she has a love interest, but it isn't the most romantic story and her and Alex's relationship is pretty basic. There wasn't much excitement there tbh.

I related to Jas and the feeling of trying to prove yourself or feeling like you have a lot to make up for. Honestly, her parents got on my nerves and I didn't get the resolution I was hoping for with them. I think they took her for granted and owed her a bigger apology. But they did come to an understanding which was good I guess.

I thought Alex was sweet, but I did wish we saw more of him. And as far as the relationship with his mother goes, he didn't do enough groveling for me either. Maybe I just really liked Jasmine and think she deserved better than she got?

But I enjoyed seeing Jasmine figure some things in her life out and grow some more.

3/5

5/5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for sending me an ARC of this book to review!
Omg where do I start! This book is about a girl named Jasmine who is trying to figure out what to with herself post college as she works in her parents Donut Shop. Despite me loving the romcom dynamic between Jas and her love interest Alex, I honestly connected the most with her post college journey. As a current senior in college I don't have a single clue on what I want to do when I graduate so in that regard I felt really connected to Jas. Plus her family's pressure and expectations were very much super realistic. Asian families and Latinx families have very similar characteristics in how they treat their children and the things they expect out of them so I was struggling along with our MC and at times I really wanted to give her a hug 🥺 Without spoiling much, I will say that this book highlights the importance of communication, especially with family.
On a more bubbly note, I loved seeing how the Donut shop worked since I love Donut shops myself! The whole process and the regular customers was just a super nice touch! I really liked the dynamic between Jas and her brother Pat 😂 I could see a lot of myself and my own brother so I was constantly laughing. And Alex Lai was just...wow 🥰 I loved the way he would bicker back and forth with Jas and I was constantly rooting for them because they were so cute to me 🥺
I would 100% recommend this book if you're looking for a fun read with great Asian representation! This book comes out November 2nd so be on the lookout for this beauty! 😁

This is definitely a super cute book with likable characters, a unique setting (a donut shop?! How can you not love that?), and some relatable drama both of the familial and romantic kind. Tieu also weaves in some interesting conflict between Jasmine, an American born Asian American, and her parents, immigrants who fled the Kmer Rouge and have Chinese heritage. I always have a hard emotional time with stories like these in which children clash with their parents and are hurt by them (as well as are hurtful to them to some extent), mostly because the cultural differences are hard for me to process given my own cultural experience. But that said, Tieu definitely makes all of the characters, including Jasmine's parents, super empathetic, and gives all players a lot of grace. This book didn't really go outside any boxes, but as a comfort read (read during a time where I was under a lot of external stress) it works well.

If you like cute romances with family strife and camaraderie, THE DONUT TRAP may be a fun one to check out this Fall!

“‘Everyone stop saying f***!’ my dad shouted.”

Jasmine works at her parents’ donut shop day in and day out, waiting to start her “real” life. When her best friend’s boyfriend gets a cute new roommate, things start looking up. Jasmine has had a thing for new roommate Alex ever since she sold him tickets to a basketball game years ago. As Alex and Jasmine start spending more time together, Jasmine discovers that getting out of the donut trap is going to take a lot more work than she thought.

The book was cute and occasionally even laugh-out-loud funny. I especially loved the dialogue between Jasmine and her family. They were absolutely adorable characters.

This one comes out November 2, 2021. I recommend it for a fun quick read.

Thanks to Julie Tieu, Avon and Netgalley for this ARC in return for my honest review.

Such a cute book!! There were some things I didn’t LOVE about it. But the overall premise was great and it provided a very fast read.

The Donut Trap is such a sweet treat of a book! First, I love learning about different cultures and I loved how Julie Tieu was able to share some Asian culture and a little history in the story of The Donut Trap. Applause for a job well done!

I was Team Jasmine from the go. Jasmine struggled with pleasing her parents and staying respectable to her Asian culture, but she also wanted to break some chains of what is expected because of her culture. How does she make these changes without disrespecting her parents and her family? Talk about a young woman being on the fence! Choices had to be made in the name of love, career, family, and one's own true happiness!

Of course a book with donut in the name and on the book cover is only a sign that this book mentions food throughout the book. It made me want to go grab a chocolate long john and some chocolate milk, but I didn't cave!

Thank you to Avon and Harper Books along with @Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review

If you're looking for a quick read, coming of age/growing into yourself, story starring first generation Chinese characters (in LA) then look no further. ⁠
⁠
I read this book in two days and I loved how authentic Tieu portrayed the child of immigrant parents struggle, especially that of not being able to complain, and the stress of changing majors because college is hard. I appreciated the growth of Jasmine throughout the novel, in trusting herself and standing up to her family but also being vulnerable. ⁠
⁠
Spice: 1/5🌶️⁠
Stars: 3/5 ⭐⁠
Diversity: 4/5 🌈⁠
⁠
Triggers: mentions about alcohol and drug use in the past, almost non-con/regrettable sex, refugee journeys in china and south-east Asia⁠
⁠
Thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review and the opportunity to read this work of art.

🥰Liked \\ 💗low steam
🤟coming of age, texting banter, family donut shop
📚Frankly in Love

This was cute. The character seemed like a 22 year old - which sometimes annoyed me being so far removed. I definitely think new adult readers will enjoy!

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced reading copy! This book snuck up on me and ultimately surprised me in the end, becoming a great story about growing up and finding your way. Jasmine (Jas) just graduated from college and is feeling lost after returning to work at her family donut shop. The donut shop is in trouble with a rental hike, and Jas’s refugee parents are relying on her help more than ever. Julie connects with Alex, who was a college crush and also from an immigrant family, and they feel an instant connection. This story is a romance, but really I thought it was actually more about finding your way after college, as well as navigating complicated family relationships and trust issues as a first-generation Asian, young person in Southern California. The romance between Jas and Alex is sweet and nuanced, but I thought the relationship between Jas and her family were the real winners of this book, including the challenges, pressures, and joys of being raised by refugees and immigrants in modern America. This book took a little bit to grow on me, but I ended up loving the ending and the sweetness and empathy between all the character’s as you learn more about each of their complexities. I recommend this story for lovers of closed door romances, American immigrant and refugee family dynamics, and coming of age fiction.

The Donut Trap is a fun romance as delicious as a perfectly glazed donut, but beneath the sweet romance, it's also a richly developed story about the diaspora experience and the overwhelming sense of aimlessness that so often comes after graduating college. It's an important coming-of-age story about walking the fine line between forging your own path and not disappointing the parents who have given up everything for you. Expect to cry and laugh, all while craving donuts!

I find it difficult to write a review for a book that may have been wrongly marketed. Described as a rom-com, the descriptor for The Donut Trap gave me a little bit of an enemies-to-lovers vibe with a side of workplace romance. Quickly realizing that this was not the general narrative, I had to mentally reassess my thoughts on The Donut Trap which allowed me to enjoy it much more in the second half. Here’s what you will find in The Donut Trap:
1) A story of life after college.
Jasmine has not been out of college long at all before she finds herself back working at her parents donut shop. Not the plan she envisioned for herself, she constantly battles the fine line between wanting to be independent and living under her parents’ roof and rule. Unsure of what she wants to do with her life, Jasmine struggles with the outside pressures she feels from high school friends who seem to have their life sorted out, a college bestie that’s leaving for law school in New York, a younger brother that appears to have a fantastic internship lined up, and of course her parental pressures.

2) A story about the relationship between first generation American born children and their immigrant parents.
90% of The Donut Trap takes place at Jasmine’s parents’ shop where Jasmine, her mom and dad (and sometimes brother) work. Because family life and work life never separate for this family, they are always in each other’s business be that financial, love life, future prospects, and daily life. Although Jasmine’s parents truly love her, their love can sometimes be a bit stifling for Jasmine as she tries to navigate her own place in society. This book did a great job of navigating the parental involvement in Jasmine’s life. In fact the main plot line of the story dealt with Joe Jasmine is trying to leave the “Donut Trap” her parents have put her in.

3) A closed door relationship. As appealing and cute as Alex Lai appears, this was a missed opportunity for a fun romance. The romance was mostly in the background of the Donut Trap. I wanted more from Alex and more from Jasmine leading up to their getting together. Kissing, touching, anything to describe the physicality they have for each other would have jumped the level. I guess I just prefer more steam if a book is advertised as a romance, otherwise it tends to read more YA than Adult for me.
Overall The Donut Trap was a cute story, but left me desiring
more.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for my advanced copy!

Be prepared to have an intense craving for Donuts!

This was a cute, quick read!

I would say the romance in this was not as strong as I wanted it to be, but I did enjoy Jasmine’s journey in finding her calling. I felt that maybe her calling should have been working at the Donut shop with her parents but I can understand her need to get out and do something new.

Alex or Michael… I honestly really didn’t like either of them… probably unpopular opinion.

One year after graduating from UCLA, Jasmine Tran still has no job prospects and, as her mother not so subtly reminds her, no dating prospects either. Instead, she is living with her parents and working at their donut shop. Jasmine is stuck. Will she ever catch up to her friends who are living their best twenty-something lives and what exactly is holding her back? Perhaps great friends, yummy donuts, and a cute guy will help her figure it all out!

Julie Tieu’s debut is more than meets the eye! Although it is a romcom, her exploration of cultural family dynamics and expectations within immigrant families are refreshingly realistic and a much needed point of view. Filled with a wonderful balance of laughs and witty banter along with vulnerable and heartfelt moments, I very much appreciated seeing Jasmine work through important issues in order to live her very own best life.

This book was so cute and adorable. But that was about it. It didn’t blow me away in the way I was expecting. I’m not sure what exactly I was looking for but it left me wanting just some more romance or some more oomph.

Jasmine, our leading woman, was endearing but a bit chaotic at times. Her thoughts seemed to just jump all over the place and I was hoping she would get her act together but it took so long for it to happen.

There were moments where I swooned and just felt really happy with the romance but it left me wanting. And I wish I could list out what exactly I thought this story was missing to make it perfect but I think it just reads a bit too juvenile. Juvenile in the way that I genuinely think this could’ve been passed off as an older YA book or even NA. This novel really wanted to accomplish more but it left me wanting.