The Donut Trap started off so promising, but the second half of the book fell flat for me. One of the reasons why, was that I felt Jasmine and Alex were two people who shouldn’t have been in a relationship. I found it very hard to root for them because the way their relationship started didn’t feel real, did they ever even establish that they were in a relationship? Jasmine had things she needed to work through first with her family and career and then throwing a guy into the mix, in my opinion dragged her character down. Alex was a very problematic character, I get that his mom wanted certain things for him, but he never really gave Jasmine a good enough reason for why he lied to his mom about her and I think she was way too forgiving for the way he treated her. He wasn’t the type of guy Jasmine needed or deserved. There were also things brought up regarding Jasmine, like her senior year of college, that I wish were expanded on a lot more, instead of just being used as filler.

I enjoyed this book, however, I think the marketing for it is a tad off. It appears to be a light romance, and while there was some romance, the plot was more on the heavier side dealing with family issues.

It read more as a coming-of-age story with the main character, Jasmine, being 22 years old and trying to find a career post graduation and outside of her parents' donut shop. Her parents have a LOT of expectations for her, seeing as how they were immigrants who had to start their own successful business.

The romance could have used more sizzle and there was even a bit of a love triangle. But, the focus on pleasing your parents and just … finding yourself post college made for a good read.

Jasmine was frustrating at times, making bad decisions or expecting people to read her mind, yet - she's only 22. We've all been there, done that.

But, I mean, come on, a romance set in a donut shop, along with delicious descriptions of various Asian dinner dishes, well this story makes me want a donut, noodles and … love.

I will definitely read more of Julie Tieu's books.

Jasmine has recently graduated from UCLA and is working at her parents' donut shop while figuring out what to do next. This feels like a coming-of-age story for the after college set. Jasmine struggles with a lot of insecurities.

I really enjoyed reading about all of the Los Angeles destinations. I used to live in downtown LA, so reading about Dodger Stadium, Grand Central Market, and Pershing Square took me back.

There are themes of identity, honesty, and loyalty. And there are donut puns and all sorts of donut flavors! I would have enjoyed more depth to the romance and a stronger resolution to some of the issues raised. But all good, this was a fun debut.

Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. These opinions are my own.

3.5 stars rounded up

*Thank you to Avon and Harper Collins for this e-ARC. All opinions are my own.*

I was expecting a fluffy donut shop rom-com. Instead, we are going through the frustration and coming of age of Jasmine. I think too often we think people in their 20s are past their “I'm lost” phase. We are told to get through college then start the career over and over. We do the college thing then we are shoved into the big world with no idea what to do from there. I really enjoyed this book and it's realistic look into the overwhelming world of feelings, expectations, and love entanglements. I appreciated getting to see how those challenges were faced by someone from a completely different culture. Some of the miscommunications took me out of the zone, but they were genuine interactions. Overall, this was an experience I was glad to read about.

The Donut Trap was a story of finding your path after college while navigating the pressures from family and society.

OH and donut forget about the romance. Move over Shopgirl, Window Guy and Ticket Girl have just entered the chat.

For me, THE DONUT TRAP suffered a bit for its marketing. Based on the cover and the description, it feels more like a rom-com than what it really is, an exploration of family dynamics, post-college malaise, and the complicated expectations of immigrant (and in this case, refugee) families for their children, and how these young people's choices are shaped by what they think their parents want. In fact, I felt that the romance was the weakest link in this novel. There was very little real chemistry between Jasmine and Alex, and I felt much more intrigued by her family, especially her mom. I also wish more time would have been given to the revelation about Jasmine's college years that is revealed in the last half of the book. Overall, though, this is an enjoyable read. Comparisons to KIM'S CONVENIENCE is apt and this would also be a great adult crossover for fans of Gloria Chao's YA books (AMERICAN PANDA).

While this is partially a romance, one thing I loved about this story is that it touches on the struggles of being a child of immigrants by exploring two different first generation experiences. It was a light and easy read so if you’re looking for a romcom to warm you heart look no further.

It's been quite a few years since I was 22 years old and newly graduated from college. Yet this story reminded me of the struggles that all of us have at that age -- trying to find ourselves, trying to become an adult, trying to get our parents to accept that we are an adult, all while navigating our way in the world and finding the job and lifestyle that we dreamed of while in college.

The main character in this story--Jasmine Tran--struggles with those things too. But on top of those challenges, she's a first generation American, since her Chinese parents lived in Cambodia and Vietnam before coming to the United States. They own a donut shop, so when Jasmine graduates and can't find a job right away, they expect her to come back and help out in the shop. Depressed, she allows her life to morph into three things: working, Netflix binging, and sleeping.

Then one day, her college crush--Alex Lai--appears in her life. He's her dream man, and he even speaks Mandarin Chinese, so her parents approve. But a dinner-with-the-parents-gone-bad shakes Jasmine out of her post-college stupor, and she begins to reassess herself and what she really wants in her life.

I enjoyed reading Jasmine's journey into adulthood and how she grows to become her best self. I also enjoyed getting a peek into the life and struggles of an immigrant family, and learning more about Southeast Asian cultures. Overall, I thought it was a good story.

A book about falling in love at a donut shop? SOLD! The cover really caught my attention (plus the donuts, obviously)

Jasmine is a lovable, young-adult character who is struggling with work/life/family balance while spending all of her time at her family's donut shop, Sunshine Donuts.

This was Julie Tieu's debut book and it was a light and easy read that made me very hungry for donuts. Thanks to NetGalley I was able to get an advanced read copy! It comes out on November 2, 2021!

Sadly this book didn't work for me the way I wanted it to. I didn't hate it, it had some really good spots, but I was bored a lot of it. Mainly there was no spark between Jas and Alex. I just didn't believe their relationship and how fast it moved. What I did like was how Jasmine's relationship with her parents evolved. That was probably the highlight for me. In the end, not a book for me.

This ARC (provided by netgalley)was such a cute read. Has a great family perspective and cute romance. The love between Jas and Alex was genuine and I like how they support and tell the truth to each other. The writing was good and the pacing was good, I was entertained the whole time while reading!

Jasmine Tran is a little lost - she's working at her parents' donut shop, but she's searching for more in life. She runs into her old crush Alex Lai - can she find love and a new purpose?

I enjoyed the family dynamic of the story - lots of readers will relate to family pressures and uncertainty about one's future. I liked the Asian American representation in the story. Unfortunately, I felt like this story didn't really know what it wanted to be, and the plot bounced around a lot. The romance didn't have much heat and seemed secondary to Jasmine's self-exploration. Although I liked Jasmine as a character, I wasn't as invested in her as I normally am in a protagonist. 3 stars because I did love the donut shop setting.

Thank you to Avon/Harper Voyager for providing an ARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

While the "The Donut Trap" is categorized as a Romance novel, I personally loved it for all the non-romance parts. I grew up as a first generation Asian American immigrant, so seeing so many of my shared experiences and emotions put on paper through the eyes of 22 year old Jasmine felt so nostalgic. Add in the fact that her family runs in donut business and a recipe (badum tss) for success.

The author's writing is straightforward and to the point, and she's crafted a strong protagonist that is both admirable, vulnerable, and lovable. Jasmine struggles with a lot of things 22 year-olds do, trying to find her place and path in life after graduating college and having the extra pressure of her Asian parents on her. Her relationship with her parents, including both the successes and difficulties, were refreshing to read, and was the highlight of the novel for me. The love interest, Alex, while an enjoyable addition, was only the cherry on top to the story.

Would recommend for readers of any age, especially those who have similar backgrounds to Jasmine!

Thank you so much to Avon and Harper Voyager for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Donut Trap was a sweet story about family, new relationships, and navigating life after college. As someone currently in the middle of university, following along Jasmine’s journey of trying to figure out what to do career-wise and personal life-wise post graduation (with the pressure of having to please your Asian immigrant parents lurking on your mind constantly) was deeply relatable.

I definitely agree with other reviewers that this novel felt less like a romance and more like a coming-of-age story….for people in their early 20’s. Even though Jasmine and Alex are both on the cover of the book, their relationship is not the focus of the story--Jasmine’s is. And although I liked the moments between Jasmine and Alex, I felt like marketing this story as a romance is kind of misleading since the main theme of this novel is familial relationships, intergenerational conflict, and self-growth. I will admit that I was a little wary of Alex when he and Jasmine first started hanging out. I kept thinking that he was a little shady and was hiding something from Jasmine the entire time. But I liked how honest and real their relationship was throughout the novel and how it didn’t feel like a fairytale romance.

As mentioned, this book deals a lot with Jasmine’s relationship with her family and the intergenerational differences between Jasmine and Patrick (her brother) and their parents. The frustrations and conversations Jasmine has with her parents were so relatable as the daughter of Asian immigrant parents. I definitely empathized with her frustrations on how second-generation immigrants are expected to be perfect in every aspect of their life because of the sacrifices their parents made immigrating to a new country and Julie Tieu captured this perfectly while breaking the model minority myth.

I think where this book fell short for me was A) that it was marketed as a romance, as mentioned, but didn’t read as one, and B) that some of the dialogue and events in the story felt a little off? A few reviewers have mentioned how the dialogue felt unrealistic and slightly outdated. Additionally, the arc of Jasmine’s character was a little unexpected. For the first 2/3rds of the book, she comes off as a hardworking, introverted, and insecure college graduate. But at the end of the book when she reveals to Alex and the reader that she was a heavy partier in college and fell into substance abuse, it felt kind of out-of-character for her considering how different her inner monologue made her seem and how she acted for the first two thirds of the book. Perhaps that was the point, but I still found it hard to believe.

Overall, if you’re looking for a heartfelt story that balances family and personal relationships with self-growth, The Donut Trap may be for you!

The Donut Trap by Julie Tieu is a funny, multicultural, own-voices romance. Plus, working at a donut shop? Of course, I had to read it!

Since graduating Jasmine Tran has been in a never ending loop of work, netflix and donuts, while she is trying to figure out what her dreams are and how to follow them. That is until her college crush shows up at her shop.
This was seriously a sweet read. (no pun intended.) I think that Jasmine's feelings of being lost after graduating are relatable. As well as her story of self discovery and romance. I would have loved for Jasmine to have more open conversations with her parents and felt that the short conversation they had wasn’t enough. And overall grew tired of hearing the same repetitive issue of her being a disappointment and not having a career.

Overall, I enjoyed this one!

Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyage for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This story is a delight!  Jasmine Tran, recent college graduate, is back living at home, working for her parents' donut ship, with no romantic or professional prospects on the horizon.  Then, through a social media snafu, she is reconnected with Alex Lai, her former college crush.  As they start to spend more time together, and Jas gets a lead on a new job through a high school friend she has also reconnected with, things are finally looking up for the first time since graduation.  But then, Jas and Alex have a disastrous dinner with both their parents, making Jas question everything -- her relationship with Alex, her potential new job, and what she wants from a future.  Can Jas turn things around, or is she indeed caught in the donut trap forever?

This is an incredibly strong debut.  The author has created strong characters in both Jas and Alex -- as a reader, you are deeply invested in them individually and as a couple.  The author also does a great job of situating this romantic comedy in an insightful examination of the challenges facing recent college graduates as they navigate the modern dating and work worlds, while also contending with the expectations of their parents, especially where, as here, the parents immigrated to the United States in significant part for greater opportunities for those children.

Very highly recommended!  Pre-order this one and you will not be disappointed.

This is an ARC review via Netgalley.

Any book centered around donuts is a win in my eyes. I was honestly more interested in the donut shop more than the romance at times.

Although Jas girl…. Your parents are crazy. 😂

Also extra brownie (or donut) points for the awesome references. Friends. Pocahontas. Katniss. 🙌🏻

I couldn't get into this book. I can't tell if it was just the writing and non-action or just not the right book for me at this time.

Finished with college, no boyfriend, and no job, twenty two year old Jasmine Tran is just trying to get by. She works at her parent’s Donut shop after finishing college and is trying to sort out her life post college. She feels like her days are slipping by and her parents are not letting her live the fact that she doesn’t have a boyfriend or an actual job down. One day she suddenly is set up on a blind date by her best friend with a guy she had a crush on once, and that guy is Alex Lai. Alex is perfect: he’s handsome, sweet, successful, and he’s Chinese, which her parents would approve of. The thing is, he might be a little too perfect and after a disastrous dinner with the parents, Alex and Jasmine find out that neither is as perfect as the other thought. On top of all of this her parent’s store is close to going under and she has to find a way to help keep the store running and navigate an ex who has just reappeared in her life. Romance drama, family drama, and the pains of trying to adjust to adult life post college all come together in this story of a girl who is just trying to live up to her parents expectations and get by. First things first, Jasmine was a really relatable character, her struggles with trying to please her parents and struggling with the difficulties of being in your twenties and trying to find her place. I could see a lot of myself in her difficulties and her relationship with her family. The biggest thing for me from this book was her relationship with Alex. While Jasmine does do a lot of online stalking and then there was the incident <spoiler> she uses her job to get his information and phone number and call him </spoiler>, Alex does a lot more questionable red flag things <spoiler> he comes into her room and goes through her stuff without her permission, he changes her laptop settings and preferences without her knowing, he lies to his mom about her and has a lot of insecurities and jealousy issues despite not talking about his own ex though, yet his insecurities stem from the fact that his ex cheated on him </spoiler> . I really enjoyed the story aspect of seeing Jasmine grow and her relationship with her family grow too.

*Thanks Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager/ Harper Collins Voyager for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

The Donut Trap was a tepid romance, at best, with several mentions of the love interests attractive calves...and that's about as romantic as it got. Overall, a cute story about post-graduation life with a muddled plot and zero obstacles that weren't instantly overcome.