The Donut Trap
by Julie Tieu
Pub Date: Nov. 2, 2021
Avon Books
Julie Tieu sparkles in this debut romantic comedy, which is charmingly reminiscent of the TV show Kim’s Convenience and Frankly in Love by David Yoon, about a young woman who feels caught in the life her parents have made for her until she falls in love and finds a way out of the donut trap.
I received an ARC from Avon Books and NetGalley.
I wanted to like this book more than I did . The last half dragged. I am sorry I cannot recommend this book.
3 stars

The cute cover and the blurb promoting it this as a romantic comedy are misleading. Jasmine (Jas) Tran graduated over a year ago from UCLA and still doesn't know what to do with her life. Her one constant is the continuous work in her parents donut shop. She is first generation American as her parents escaped the Khmer Rouge and stayed with relatives in Vietnam before coming to the USA as refuges. Her parents expectations for her and demands are very culturally driven. In return she turns to lying when needed to get out with friends and do things she doesn't think will meet her parents approval.

For me the focus of the book is Jas coming of age while dealing with parental and cultural expectations. Jas isn't always a reliable narrator and we are stuck in her view of things. I'm not sure it is realistic that she'd get the job she does without an interview. Or that she seems so self confident with Alex and standing up to him when the same confidence is so lacking in dealing with her family, who she genuinely loves. There is some cute texts messages between Alex and Jas but nothing that made me LOL. And Alex has some red flags as well. Who changes your computer settings when you're not in the room on seemingly a second date.

As a romance I'd give it 3 stars. As a coming of age, cultural/family drama I give it 4 stars. There is some language, kissing and with other minimal intimacy off the page. Thank you Avon, Harper Voyager and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. (3.5 stars)

While this was a perfectly average read, I severely lost interest in the last quarter that made the story drag. I can appreciate Jas' personal development- standing up to her parents and branching out on her own, I felt like she was given a pass for a lot of the same reasons she was upset with Alex (her love interest). And the final conflict was a bit convoluted and rushed leaving the story feeling slightly unsatisfying. But with the strong family focused- though frustrating at times - The Donut Trap is a well balanced contemporary romance

I think my problem with this book stems from the fact that I went into it expecting a romance and it’s really a coming of age story about a young woman fresh out of college figuring out the next steps in her life and there is a cute romantic subplot but it is by no means, the central focus of the story.

I liked the stuff with the parents particularly because I understood the immigrant parents, the pressure, the language issues, the overly critical judgmental parents, all of that resonated really well. I wouldn’t really call it toxic but I can see how someone not familiar with the cultural nuances presented in this book would read it as toxic.

All that to say, I liked it well enough but I was really expecting a romance and absolutely got something different.

2.5 rounded up.

This was a cute debut novel. I wouldn’t necessarily consider it a romcom though. I would say it was more of a coming of age novel with a touch of romance. I consider it a romance when 80-90% of the book is either the two main characters interacting or them thinking/talking about each other. This one was more like 30%.

When I read a romcom I am here for the romance. With this mindset I found I wasn’t as invested in the family drama aspect of the story, and skimmed along to romance parts. I didn’t feel the spark between the characters and felt the ending kind of rushed. I don’t care that there is no steam, but I do care about buildup and chemistry between characters!

Thank you Avon and Netgalley for letting read and review this book!

From the beginning, I felt like Alex and Jasmine's chemistry was charming. But I think the reason I enjoyed The Donut Trap so much was because Jasmine resonated with me. The ways she loves her family, but also wants some space. How she feels stuck in this trap she had a hand in making. And the ways she isn't sure what she wants to do? It felt so utterly relatable. I appreciate seeing this type of character in a romance book.

I want to see more characters who don't know what they want to do, more of these moments between degrees and this idea of 'the future'. The Donut Trap is a book that I enjoyed immensely from start to finish. Everything from the actual donut shop, to the relationship between Jasmine and her family, all the way to her relationship with Alex.

3.6ish stars?! i enjoyed it plenty!! i rounded up!

Jasmine finds herself stuck in a routine consisting of movies, her parents and her family’s donut shop. It doesn’t compare to the life her high school and college friends live and she tries not to think about it. Out of the blue, when an old college crush steps back into her life, so does a high school flame. Alex from college seems nearly perfect until one disastrous dinner. From there, Jas needs to somehow find a way out of her funk, a new job and trying to juggle boundaries between friends and boyfriends.

Jas and Alex were really cute and Alex was very likable ! Jas, I had a harder time liking. I understood her struggle but it was just a little too much sarcasm and internalized racism for me. Her parents were cute and her struggles with family made it all relatable that my heart ached for the familiarity it brought. As always, I always massively appreciate a book with minimum amount of white people. Just makes my heart happy!

Trapped in a Groundhog Day loop of donut shop, Netflix, dinner, sleep. She needs to break free of this loop but as a rent hike threatens the shop Jasmine finds herself working more then ever.
.
Alex Lai, an old love reappears and things get complicated as family gets involved also. A family run donut shop, family involved in your love life and schemes galore, what could go wrong? This was a cute book and made me reminisce about my high school job at a donut shop!
.
Thank you @avon and @netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review

Wow! What a pleasant surprise THE DONUT TRAP was! Some of my favorite things in books is growth of a main character feeling lost at a certain point in their life and building family/friend relationships. Jasmine was still figuring out what she wanted to do after college (what her interests were and where they would take her careerwise.) I liked that she didn't stick to the one degree she wasn't happen and tried other things. She not only worked hard to make certain relationships work and accept who she is/what she is trying to do, but she made them work for it too. It felt like a realistic journey and ending to what happened in those relationships, such as starting off the romantic relationship with Alex a little slower, the continuous communication about their issues, and trying to work in some time alone. I enjoyed reading about Jasmine's growth from beginning to end. It also felt like something someone I know would go through.

rep: Southeast Asian characters, specifically Cambodian Chinese American and Vietnamese American characters
(main and side)

I enjoyed this "insider" story of an immigrant family business and their American-ized children. There were so many different themes touched on in this book - post-college children moving home, culture differences, love, family. There was a lot packed into this story that when I got to the end, it felt a bit "rushed" to wrap it all up in a neat bow. This book could have easily been at least 2 books - Jasmine's college life and issues, Jasmine's post-college life and issues. Alex's backstory could be it's own book. With all the various story lines that were introduced in the book, the ending was just a bit unsatisfying to me.

Plus, I really want a Sunshine Donut! :)

The main character of this book is so unlikeable. She acted like a high school kid although she was a college graduate. And I didn’t really enjoy the romance aspect. I kept thinking the love interest was a bad guy because there were some 🚩 Loved the donut shop though.

I enjoyed this book a lot and will definitely be recommending it to my friends and followers. I've had a few friends already add it to their tbr

Thank you Netgalley and Avon Publishers for sharing the ARC of The Donut Trap in exchange for my review.

Jasmine is a recent UCLA graduate and is working at her parent's Donut Shop. Jas is trying to figure out what she wants to do next in life, she is also frustrated working in her parents donut shop. She meets Alex, who she briefly had a crush on at UCLA and they are into each other. After one date Jas and her family invite Alex & his mom over for dinner and that goes south. Jas and Alex go through some trust and support issues. Jas lacks confidence in her career, family, boyfriend and friends and has a very low self esteem. She eventually opens up to her family, boyfriend and is able to move on with her career.

I wouldn't categorize The Donut Trap as a romance novel, It was a coming of age fiction sprinkled with some romance. Overall a decent read, I didn't connect with Jas as much and was expecting some more development to her relationship with Alex. It was great to see Asian representation and exposure to Asian culture. Also enjoyed that the book was set in LA and enjoyed the different locations in the book. Overall I would rate the book 3.5 stars.

After graduating from college, Jasmine finds herself moving home to help her parents run their donut shop. But what she thought was a temporary gig turns into something she can’t find her way out of – and not because her parents aren’t supportive, but because she can’t think of a single marketable skill she has to offer another job.

Throughout this book, Jasmine reconnects with old friendships from high school, is formally introduced to her crush from college, and is forced to figure out what she’s doing with her life.

If you ask me, that’s a lot to take on within a year let alone a few months. And yet, Jasmine does. Don’t get me wrong, there are PLENTY of bumps along the way: her parents need her help, her crush from college is far from perfect, and her ex-boyfriend might still be interested in her, which she doesn’t truly figure out until it’s nearly too late.

That being said, this book is filled with donut puns, caring family members, and a chance to rediscover yourself. I also love the message that’s conveyed in the fact that you don’t have to know what you want to do with your life immediately after, during, or even before attending college.

I liked the dynamic between Jasmine and Alex, but sometimes they just felt off. I wanted more from them. There were a lot of issues they both needed to work out that seemed to be easily avoidable, and yet they kept coming up against one obstacle after the next with little reprieve between them. Made for a lot of emotional baggage to say the least.

Overall, this is a cute read, and I’d recommend it if you have no problem walking away craving some donuts.

The Donut Trap is a fun debut novel by Julie Tieu. I needed to have a donut or a few while reading this book. I thought this would be more of a romance, but that was not the main story. It does not have much steam either, but that's okay. I love Jasmine in this coming-of-age story as she tries to find balance after college. Overall this is a great contemporary novel about complicated topics and finding yourself. I highly recommend the audiobook because Natalie Naudus did a fantastic job!

Thank you, Avon and Harper Audio, for my complimentary copies for my honest review.

The Donut Trap is a fun coming of age romance that takes place in none of the best places in the world - a donut shop!

“ 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 good:
• The banter between Jasmine and Alex in this book was fun, quirky and super relatable. I love an MC with a bit of a snarky streak
• Alex is a dreamboat. Everything you could imagine wanting in a boyfriend.

The bad:
• I found the relationship between Jasmine and her parents (especially her mother) to be super toxic and very distracting. Her mom came across and controlling,” and mean most of the time. Now, I know that Julie was depicting an Asian-American household, and however true this relationship could have been, I found it hard to feel any sympathy for either of them because of how toxic the relationship was.
• I also realized about 2/3rds if the way through the book that I just didn’t care if Alex and Jasmine got together…but I think this mostly had to do with the family drama and it really took away from their story.

All in all, this book was a fun read. Alex and Jasmine were great characters, but the relationship with both of their families really detracted from them for me.

And also, now I really want a donut. All of the donuts in their book sounded delicious!!

Jasmine is literally trapped with donuts. Meaning, she works in her family’s donut shop, only while she figures out what she wants to do. Between figuring that out, living up to her parents’ expectations, and dating someone she previously stalked in college, how does Jasmine navigate this life?

I mainly listened to this one and found the narration superb. I actually enjoyed the storyline, especially because I can relate to Jas. The cultural influences, family impact, and expectations were spot on, and while the romance was not the main event, it was a nice weave-in, another challenge to an already high standard.

I definitely recommend to Suzanne Park and Jayci Lee fans.

I really enjoyed this book! I laughed so much and even had a few tears that slipped out. I loved the balance of comedy and romance in this story and the main characters voice. I loved the build up of the romance as well. Julie did an amazing job with this book and I can't wait to see what she does next...especially if it is in this same universe!

Just as cute as the cover! Refreshing to see an Asian American protagonist that doesn't have a stack of impressive degrees or her career figured out.

Yay for cultural representation! I loved reading about Jasmine's family and seeing the conflict in the traditional values that separated the families. A great story of finding each other while finding yourself!