Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Voyager for the ARC of this in exchange for my honest review!

The combo of donut shop setting and the balance of family expectations against finding oneself was a perfect sweetness. For adult fans of Sunny Song Will Never Be Famous, donuts, and slow burn romance. I’m hoping we’ll see more of this friend group in future books

I think as a debut, @julietieuwrites created a really interesting world where Jasmine Tran is a bit of a lost soul taking some time off after graduating from college to find herself. She’s the child of Cambodian immigrants (through China) and she has a lot of the first generation American guilt that my own mother had being the child of Holocaust survivors. Jasmine is torn between meeting her parents expectations and finding her own way, and they communicate mostly through their interactions at the family donut shop. The rent will be increased, and her parents are worried about how to cover it, reluctant to take Jasmine’s ideas and use them to boost the mom and pop shop into the 21st century.

This is a modern story, with Instagram featuring prominently as a solution to get customers into the store, as well as a flirtation mechanism for Jasmine and one of her beaus to be, Alex Lai. In a series of coincidences, Jasmine starts to date Alex, somebody she met briefly once in college, because he’s roommates with Jasmine’s best friend’s boyfriend. Jasmine is a bit of a lonely, self professed nerd, with bad luck around men. She really could use a good experience — and where the book lost me a bit was in the romance itself. Jasmine and Alex have a lot of chemistry, but Alex is still insecure because Jasmine’s ex Michael is buzzing around because he’s part of her high school friend group. Alex acts hot for Jasmine, only to turn around and be pretty insulting about Jasmine’s life circumstances — which makes me think I’m supposed to be pulling for Michael? Anyway, I’m not so great with love triangles so I think the better plan is to decide that this is a love story where Jasmine takes a chance on herself and falls in love with what she is and can be, regardless of the man children in her life.

I really liked this world building and I really liked Jasmine. I like the fresh perspective and point of view of a Cambodian immigrant family, one who knew trauma and sacrifice. I liked Jasmine’s journey. I just wasn’t super sold on the romance and want Alex to grow up and be worthy of Jasmine.

Wow, this is an awesome debut novel: Fun, adorable, sweet and gave me all the fluffy feels.

Since the beginning, the book was engaging because of the emotional rollercoaster that Jas, the MC, was going through.I found her struggle regarding the expectations vs reality that young people find when they finish college, realistic and challenging.

The flirting and banter that Jas and Alex have was so cute, swoony and exciting, the chemistry was palpable since the start. The epistolary factor was amusing and cool and helped with the banter.
I also loved the meet cute, and the fact that years later, Alex and Jas still remember the details, was really sweet.

I enjoyed the personalities and dynamic that Jasmin had with her friends and family and how Alex adapted to them.

Thank you to Avon for the eARC.

This debut novel is a cute, relatable coming-of-age story about a recent college grad, combined with a contemporary romance -- all set in a family-run donut shop. The writing style is straightforward, tending to tell more than show, which also leads to a very easy reading experience. This would be a great choice for someone looking for a quick read without significant emotional triggers (ex: nothing sad!)

As I am finding with many of the “rom-coms” coming out these days, this really wasn’t a rom-com. Yes, there was romance and humor, but it was mostly a story of woman trying to figure out her life. Though, I hoped for more romance, I did enjoy accompanying Jasmine on her personal journey.

Post College Funk

College is sold as the end all be all for succeeding in life, but many get their degree and find the real world is less than accommodating of their plans. Jasmine lost her way towards the end of college, and post graduation, was working in her parents’ shop and living in her parents’ home. Her best friend, and sort of only friend, was preparing to move across the country to attend law school while Jasmine was stuck in the “gotta make the donuts” loop. Tieu did a great job capturing the emotions of being adrift, and though Jasmine needed quite a big push, it was great to see her start to get her life in order.

The Romance

I loved the idea of fate bringing Jasmine and Alex back together. This was their second chance to act on the attraction they had for each other back in college, and how could I not love that their one meeting left such a big impression on them. I adore that sort of thing. Though Alex enjoyed professional success, he also struggle with his familial relationships. This gave the couple something meaningful to bond over and added depth to their relationship.

Family Ties

It was clear that Jasmine loved her family, but she often found herself struggling to connect to them. Her parents came off as stingy with affection, but it was largely related to their experience as refugees. I had so much respect for their experience, as well as the way they worked tirelessly, and Jasmine did too. It was those moments where Jasmine attempted to bridge the gap between her and her parents that I loved the most. Tieu did such a beautiful job exploring the complicated family dynamic, and she did so with warmth, kindness, and humor. I think my biggest emotional responses followed many of the family interactions. They were definitely the shining spots of this book for me.

Overall: I would have enjoyed more focus on the romance, but I enjoyed this story very much. It was great seeing Jas figure her post college life out, deal with some of her past trauma, and learn to find balance. Her family wasn’t perfect, but you could tell they loved fiercely, and I am thrilled that I got to share some very sweet moments with them.

I picked up The Donut Trap, put it down and then came back to it. Initially, it was presented as a romance, and it really isn’t, so I had to recalibrate my expectations. It is an absolutely lovely, nuanced, coming of age story, and I’m so glad I read it.

Jasmine Tran is a recent college graduate who has stagnated. She barely managed her degree and instead of starting a career and blazing a trail, she is living at home and working in her parents’ donut shop, Sunshine Donuts. She doesn’t know what she wants to do. She doesn’t know how to be the person she thinks she is supposed to be or who her parents think she is supposed to be. Hanging over her uncertainty is the weight of everything her parents have sacrificed to give her a better life.

Meanwhile she is ignoring the group chat of her high school friends who she thinks are doing a better job of being an adult. Mostly Jasmine works and talks to her college roommate, Linh. But Linh is about to move across the country and start law school. Though everything is not coming up roses for Jasmine, she slowly works on making it better. When inspired, she takes initiative, giving us a look at the person Jas will be when she lets go of the burden she has taken on herself.

I loved the way Julie Tieu brought out the complexity and push pull of Jasmine’s relationship with her parents, and her feelings about herself in relation to them. The love between them shines through even as they do not understand each other. I really loved that no one changes dramatically. Small changes and adjustments make huge differences.

I received this as an advance reader copy from NetGalley and Avon. My opinions are my own.

Thank you so much to Avon for the opportunity to read this book in advance. This is the story of Jasmine, a recent college graduate who goes back to work at her immigrant parents doughnut shop. While her friends share their instagrams full of fun vacations or exciting work events Jas is stuck both in life and behind a counter handing out glazed confections to long time customers.

This book is very much about communication. I thought this would be a rom com type of book but I would classify it as more of a slice of life contemporary with a romance in it. Jas and her struggles are the focus as she struggles to figure out where she should work, how to talk to her parents, and how to deal with romantic relationships. When a potential romance pops up with the help of her bestie, Jas doesn't want to mess it up and I found them one of the highlights of the story. They deal with a lot of ups and downs that come with any new relationship and I enjoyed how they dealt with them as adults. There is not a ton of angst which I appreciated.

The side characters were all enjoyable but besides her parents and romance nobody is really fleshed out. Jas and her communication with her parents was an interesting plot point because I think many readers can relate to high parental expectations. With immigrant parents there is an added pressure to understand each other. The settings of the doughnut shop and the LA area were both entertaining and this really did feel like a love letter to living in that area.

Overall this was a very light fun read. I enjoyed Jas as a lead and her attempts to figure out her life and would recommend for recent graduates who can relate to feeling a little lost...or doughnut lovers like me.

CW: mentions of past drug use and overdose

Jasmine Tran has just graduated from college. While her friends are moving into adult life, finding a job or career, or as her best friend is doing, going to law school, Jas has come back home to help her parents in their donut shop. She has every intention of trying to find a job, once she figures out exactly what she wants to do, but unfortunately she finds her parents have become too dependent on her at their shop. So while people she went to college and high school with have moved on, she finds herself in a depressing rut. Working long hours at the shop, going home eating dinner and then either watching television or reading, depending on the day. She feels trapped in her life, trying to please everyone, except for herself.

All her mother really wants for her daughter is to get a boyfriend, get married and work at the shop. Her mother is always trying to fix her up (with distant cousins) or giving her tips on ways she can make herself more appealing (to boys). She wishes she was her brother, the apple of the Tran’s eye who can do no wrong and already has a career path but is away at school. He is difficult to be compared to.

Then Jas gets worse news. The landlord of The Donut Shop has decided to raise the rent. Her parents, never business savvy, have not raised their prices in years. Jasmine now must somehow come up with a plan to save the business, on top of trying to find a job she will finally be able to call her own.

But, one day, something happens which will change her life. Jasmine is accidentally reintroduced to a guy she had a chance encounter with when she was at college. She named him “window guy” back then. Hi real name is Alex Lai and he is perfect in every way. He is also Chinese which makes her parents very happy. But for Jas, nothing ever seems to go right. A disastrous dinner ensues where her parents meet Alex’s mother, and no one is happy about anyone. Jas begins to see and feel as if Alex is not quite as perfect as she once thought.

What do you do when you want to grow up and don’t want to hurt the most important people in your life? Well, lie of course!

So comedy and drama arises as we find Jas trying to navigate life and Alex, an old high school flame her parents never knew about, while trying to get her stubborn parents to agree to some new changes she feels will make the shop more popular. All the while secretly trying to find a job without hurting her parent’s and trying to figure out her own feelings for Alex. And a visit home by her brother does not help the situation.

The Donut Trap is a wonderful funny and thoughtful story of family, love and respect. It deals with the inevitability of coming of age and growing up and making adult decisions, trying to not hurt anyone’s feelings, realizing the importance of loved ones and compromise but recognizing the importance of oneself.

Thank you #NetGalley #Avon #TheDonutTrap #JulieTieu for the advanced copy. The Donut Trap will be out November 9th.

After four years of college, Jasmine ends up right back where she started: working at her parents' donut shop. They're constantly asking when she's going to get a job and a boyfriend, and she can't help comparing herself to her friends. Her classmates from high school and college all seem to have it together, while Jas is still struggling.

Thanks to a push from her best friend, she starts dating Alex. He checks all her parents' boxes: he's East Asian, he speaks Mandarin, and he's interested in their daughter. But will the culture that joins them also tear them apart?

I loved this rom com debut from Julie Tieu! Despite outward appearances as a quiet cog in her parents' donut making machine, Jas is funny and snarky and smart. As difficult as her parents can be, they're also relatable and fall just shy of overbearing. Throughout the book, even though they don't take up a lot of space, they're painted as people in their own right, and not just in terms of how they relate to Jas.

Alex is alternately adorable and adorkable. Outwardly he seems pretty posh, but Jas soon finds the layers of pain and insecurity underneath. This is a funny, emotional book about the struggles of new adulthood, and how we're all just doing our best to muddle our way through. I'm looking forward to more from this author.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Heat Factor: There’s a closed door scene that I’m not totally sure added anything

Character Chemistry: If not getting along most of the time is your love language then yes, there’s chemistry

Plot: Jasmine is in her early 20s and her life’s a mess

Overall: Women’s fiction marketed as romance strikes again!

If you are not prepared to read a story about a very (very!) young woman who is struggling to figure herself out, then you should give this book a pass. If I’m being totally honest, these protagonists were too young for me (I read Jasmine as even younger than 23ish), and I think I’m at a point where I need to really selectively read single POV stories. Do I really want to focus on this one person’s growth journey?


I will say, however, that in terms of Jasmine’s characterization, Tieu is beat for beat spot on in representing Jasmine’s struggles as a recent college grad without a plan post-graduation. My experience feels worthless; how is my resume possibly going to stand out from all the other graduates just like me? I’m not qualified for anything; how can I possibly get my foot in the door? All my old friends seem to be succeeding and I’m just stagnating; why would I even put myself out there to talk to them? It’s a success/happiness mentality that—now that I’m not in my early 20s anymore—I absolutely hate, but that I can remember feeling myself and that I remember watching when I was older but supervising recent college graduates doing entry-level work. It’s very difficult to stop comparing ourselves and our successes to what’s outwardly visible from others’. So there are many, many aspects of this story that resonate beautifully. Or they’re not particularly comfortable so maybe more like…resonantly.

There’s a lot I want to say about this book, so if you’re not interested in buckling up for the whole ride, here’s the summary before the final summary: This is the story of a young woman born to refugee parents who is struggling under the weight of her parents’ and society’s expectations. The romance is secondary, and I did not find it particularly satisfying or uplifting. This book is best suited to readers who like a heroine’s journey with some romantic elements.

The full review may be read at The Smut Report

Overall, I enjoyed this one, and can I just say that I'm enjoying the sudden influx of donut-themed romances? That being said, I think there were maybe one (or three) too many subplots that just didn't feel resolved in the end...

I'd be interested to read more from Julie Tieu in the future!

So, this one was a miss for me. I was really hopeful, but our heroine was REALLY hard to like. She felt a bit creepy and stalkerish at times, and it made me really uncomfy.

I really wanted to like this book, but unfortunately it just didn't work for me. I thought there were too many competing storylines that the whole thing seemed a little disjointed and unorganized, and none of them really felt like they got the attention they deserved. I sympathized with Jasmine and really wanted to see her succeed and find happiness. At times I felt like she didn't even really like Alex, the love interest which made it hard for me to really root for them as a couple.

Thanks to Avon and NetGalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

The Donut Trap is the debut novel of Julie Tieu and is an own-voices women’s fiction novel. I hesitate to call it a full-on romance and do feel a bit deceived by the cover and description of the book. It is not at all a rom-com despite what it is marketed as. This really just annoys me because if it had been marketed correctly as a women’s fiction book it might have been a 4.5 or 5 star book, but it did not deliver what was promised.

The book is about Jasmine who is “stuck” after college working at her immigrant parent’s donut shop in Los Angeles. The book is entirely focused on her journey at bettering herself as an individual. Does she start dating Alex, yes, but is that the main plot of the book? No. In fact she and Alex share surprisingly little page time together and I don’t feel like I know Alex very well at all. I had a stronger connection to Jasmine’s family than to Alex. Once again, if this had been marketed as women’s fiction that would have been perfectly fine, but it’s not a romance.

Overall the book was fine, but not what I’ve come to expect from Avon. It was well written and the characters all felt very realistic, so I will keep an eye out for Julie’s books in the future, Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This book is well written and the characters are described well. I adored the family and friend relationships within this book. The pacing of this book is great. The relationship between the main characters is sweet. It is a entertaining enjoyable reading experience. This book will be in stores on November 9, 2021 for CA $19.99 (CAD).

3.5⭐

This sweet contemporary wasn't at all what I was expecting but it still managed to steal my heart in the end. I went into this expecting a fun rom-com, and while this had a really sweet romance in it, I hesitate to call this a romance because the focus is really on the main characters personal journey.

In here we're following Jasmine, a messy and lost Gen Z'er, who is trying to navigate her early 20s and find her place in her world and family. She has a strained relationship not only with herself but with her parents and their unfair expectations of her life. She feels trapped working and living with them but has no idea where to take her life after college.

This book is heartfelt and raw and difficult to read at times because the things Jasmine is going through are real and frustrating. But I think it was just an accurate depiction of what it's like to be in your 20s and a little lost.

I loved all the discussion of finding your place and what it's like to be the child of immigrant parents. There were so many poignant and heartfelt themes that pulled me into this story.

But in the end I wanted more romance. Based on this synopsis and marketing of this book, I thought there would be so much more focus on the romance. When in fact, the date the synopsis mentions doesn't even happen until the 60% mark. And I found that somewhat frustrating.

The bits of the romance we got were sweet and wonderful, but they were sporadic and infrequent. And while I liked how it ended and where the couple ended up, I was left a little disappointed by the romantic element of this book.

Overall, I really loved what this book did and discussed, it just wasn't quite the book I intended when I picked it up. I would say go into this one as a familial contemporary with a hint of romance, rather than a fun, cutesy rom-com. Julie Tieu is a wonderful writer and definitely and definitely an author I will have my eye on in the future.

Side note - if you're an audiobook listener, this is narrated by Natalie Naudus who is an absolutely fantastic narrator. She did such an amazing job of bringing each character to life and pulling me into this story. Definitely worth checking out if you enjoy audiobooks!

After college, the heroine returns home to work at her parents' donut shop. The daily grind makes the heroine yearn of freedom, but when a financial situation arises that brings trouble to the family business, her parents turn to the heroine for help. Along the way towards finding a solution to the financial crisis, the heroine encounters love interests and other issues throughout the story.

This is the debut book for Julie Tieu. It features characters that dealt with familial and societal expectations in a diverse community. The family aspect of this story is very relatable to experiences that differentiates generations and their expectations. Though the romance aspect wasn't as strong, which it needed a bit more details to in my eyes. This book has a mixed set of characters that I was partial and impartial in likability. Overall, it's an entertaining story and I look forward to reading more Julie Tieu books in the future.

**Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. All opinions and thoughts in the review are my own.**

This is not a romance. I am afraid the publisher has done a disservice to this book by marketing it as such. It is, at best, a coming of age/family drama story with a minor and mild romance plot line. It does capture the post college instability that many people experience as they find their place in the world. It also shows an interesting and important facet of the Chinese diaspora, which was the highlight of the story.
Unfortunately, the whole thing was a bit lackluster for me, and I mostly wanted it to be over so I could read something else. Definitely good enough to finish, but ultimately I never really felt anything. It was more like I was monitoring the action, ‘oh now they are fighting’ ‘now her parents are disappointed’ etc, rather than feeling the feelings of any of the characters. I was really looking forward to more, and I’m sad it didn’t live up to its potential.

Jasmine is stuck. She has graduated college and has been working at her parents donut shop while she figures out her next move. The only problem is she’s built herself a comfortable routine and her next move is still TBD. Then a past college crush, Alex, comes back into the picture and Jasmine’s routine isn’t as comfortable as it used to be.

This book started a little slow for me, but I loved Jasmine’s family right away. Ma and Ba were great characters and they added a lot to the story. Jasmine grows so much throughout this book. I felt like the romance took a backseat to Jasmine finding herself and being honest about what she wanted. Alex and Jasmine have good banter and I liked them together, but I thought that Jasmine’s bond with her parents and their relationship growth was the biggest part of this story. This book is very funny, has some heartwarming moments and makes you want a donut.

The Donut Trap is an angsty NewAdult RomCom that reads a little more women's fiction since the romance is there, but it seems almost secondary to the rest of the story. Most of the characters were ok and the storyline was interesting in some parts, but I struggled with it in others. There's lots of family issues, drama, and finding your own place in the world (rather than letting someone else find it for you).

While this book was just an ok read for me (I may be a bit older than the target audience), I'm sure it will resonate with many other readers. 3 1/4 stars

Many thanks to Avon/HarperCollins and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor or expectation.