This is such a sweet and fun steamy read. I love how its premise is about a celebrity & a shy bakery who owner fall in love. It’s a slow burn, friends to lovers story with baking & lots of sexual tension. There is a good mix of romance and serious topics. I appreciate the awareness it brought to social media bullying & racism in the entertainment industry. I also really enjoyed the baking & food setting. It definitely made me super hungry, so don’t read on an empty stomach! 

You can expect:

* Based in Toronto,
* Celebrity/non celebrity romance
* Friends to lovers 
* Steamy romcom 
* Family dynamics

Super cute rom com centered around sweets (which I'm definitely here for)! I loved this story and watching the characters slowly fall for each other- it was super sweet (pun intended).

Thank you to NetGalley, Berkeley, and Jackie Lau for a copy of this E-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I really, really, really wanted to love this book. Donuts are my love language. The cover is adorable and what's not to like about donuts and love?

However, I struggled to connect with the story. It was very disjointed and repetitive. I got tired of hearing that Ryan had great abs after the 535th time it was mentioned. I got 40% through and had to give it up. All that said, I loved the Asian rep and will definitely still encourage others to give this book a try!! A big thank you to Berkley Romance for my review copy.

This ARC was offered in exchange of an honest and impartial review:
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3,5*
Pros: Truly enjoyable, full of amusing and wholesome moments. Exposes some of the pros and cons of being and dating a celebrity. A lovely PoV into baking that made me crave donuts and other goodies often. Explores difficult family relationships, loss of loved ones, and relationship insecurities. Asian-Canadian leads, and diverse cast.
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Cons: Not a fan personally of the "regular person and celebrity" ship trope, as it often tends to be unrealistic. A bit heavy on the insta-love.

My first Jackie Lau was a surprise, from slow-burn to steamy.

I’ll be honest this book threw me in multiple directions. A slow burn that turned scorching mid-way through. This threw me, because I expected more, though I imagine the author was trying to prevent too much insta-lust. I got all the Notting Hill feels, but without as much media or paparazzi.

The characters I liked. Ryan Kwok is an actor looking to reconnect with his father and sister after the sudden death of his mother. In the middle of his process, he meets specialty donut shop owner Lindsay McLeod. Lindsay is familiar with loss, losing her dad in high school, which put her on the road to where she is now. While their attraction is there, it builds as Ryan recruits Lindsay to teach him how to bake for a reality show baking competition. The only question is if this is just temporary or something more?

While I enjoyed reading about Ryan and Lindsay, the writing style was different for me and I’m still trying to figure out what exactly about it didn’t work. I think some of it had to do with pacing and this story doesn’t really hit the tropes that rev my engine.

I loved the author’s nods to fandoms, post-partum depression, and I won’t lie I am now secretly interested in one mute bartender at Fantastical Brewing. Sometimes secondary characters just stand out so well. Lau is brilliant with this, and she has a whole cast that lights up the page.

Again, this is only my first story by Lau and I plan to give her next book in this series a shot. My fingers are crossed on the characters. Overall, this isn’t a wow book for me, but it’s not a bad first in a series and sets up things nicely for future books.

~ Landra

I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Donut Fall in Love is Jackie Lau's delightful new novel. I enjoyed it immensely as it has all the things that make reading her books such a happy experience, a meet-cute, fantastic food, the perfect amount of steam and wonderful supporting characters. Actor Ryan Kwok, famous for his abs, meets baker Lindsay Macleod when upon entering her bakery, he immediately crashes into her and sends a tray of specialty donuts flying. He's taking a break from movies to be closer to family after the recent death of his mother and the birth of his sister's first child. When his agent gets him a job on the show Baking Fail, he asks Lindsay to teach him how to bake so as not to appear as a disaster on the show. Their relationship grows to friendship and then something more, but neither of them are good at relationships and watching them learn and grow together was so heartening. I highly recommend this book; it is to me, perfect comfort reading. Steam Level: Medium. Publishing Date: October 26, 2021. #DonutFallInLove #JackieLau #BerkleyPublishingGroup #BerkleyRomance #ContemporaryRomance #ContemporaryRomanceReader #MeetCuteRomance #bookstagram #bookstagrammer

Lindsay McLeod, a talented baker and owner of the Kensington Bake Shop, never expected to run into a celebrity. Enter Ryan Kwok, a famous actor known for his stellar abs, who literally bumps into Lindsay, ruining dozens of her delicious donut creations! Ryan is back in Toronto with his family after the sudden death of his biggest fan - his mom. As luck would have it, he also needs to prepare for the celebrity edition of Baking Fails, so he convinces Lindsay to help him. Will he get more than just baking lessons?

Donut let the adorable title fool you (sorry, I couldn’t resist). Even though this was a cute and quirky rom-com, the characters experienced serious issues such as racism, stereotypes, loss and grief, bullying, insecurities, and family problems. It was beyond awful that Ryan was confused for another Asian actor, and the social media trolling was no joke. I actually preferred Ryan to Lindsay because I felt like I got to know him better, plus his dad provided serious comic relief. He was my favorite side character! I still really liked Lindsay and appreciated her take charge attitude and creativity. The baking lessons and show definitely added a fun and unique twist to this story! Ryan and Lindsay’s relationship got pretty hot, and not just from being in the kitchen together!

I really enjoyed this sweet and steamy story and especially recommend it for rom-com lovers and fans of baking shows!

I am here for all donuts but my favorite is the kind with chocolate and sprinkles on top. Though after reading Donut Fall in Love, my old standby seems extra boring. This is a reverse version of Notting Hill - it is the story of Lindsey, a baker of delicious donuts and other pastries who has a run in with Ryan, a famous actor trying to recover from a recent movie flop and trying to break stereotypes of Asian actors. After some cajoling, Lindsey reluctantly agrees to give Ryan baking lessons in advance of his appearance on a baking competition show and the sparks fly. Is it formulaic and predictable? You bet. But is it also very cute with some very emotional moments about grieving the loss of parents and trying to move forward without them? Absolutely. Is it also quirky and silly and so heartwarming? Yes. Will you laugh out loud? Yup. Will it make you hungry? Obviously. It is the perfect kind of read when you want something frothy and fun with a side of sweetness.

4.5 stars. Really loved this #ownvoices romance with awesome Asian representation!! It hit the mark so well in regards to talking about Asians in the entertainment industry and my actor cousin has definitely been mistaken for other Asian actors while on castings. But it's way more than a romance - it also has themes of coping with grief and family and love. Without spoiling anything, I really could relate to the experience of love interest Ryan's sister so well. I think so many people will enjoy this. It has all the baking competition vibes as well as alllll the food descriptions! It did start a bit slow and as much as I fell in love with Ryan, all the ab-talk got to be a *tad* much for me. But overall, I just really loved it!

I’ve been a fan of Jackie Lau since her first book, so I was overjoyed when this traditionally published book was announced, and even more overjoyed that it still had the three things I’d consider hallmarks of her work: food, family and feels.

Ryan, an up and coming actor with social media worthy abs, has taken off a few months between projects to move back to Toronto to be closer to his family in the wake of his mother’s death. But while he may be physically closer, he’s not feeling that emotionally. He’s struggling to figure out how to help his pregnant sister and frustrated by his dad’s perpetual reticence. But maybe a chance encounter with a baker will at least distract him… Lindsay’s bakery is doing well, but on the personal front? Well, her business partner’s recent marriage has only highlighted how lonely she feels. One meet-disaster involving a lot of falling donuts later, at least she has a new distraction teaching a particularly handsome actor how to bake in preparation for going on a cooking show. But as the lessons progress, ovens aren’t the only thing heating up in the kitchen.

“Then she’d get back to the kitchen, and when she took a break later, she would most certainly not look up what Ryan Kwok did other than take off his shirt, destroy her donuts, and insult the concept of matcha tiramisu.”


I find “rom-com” to be a bit of a misnomer with Jackie Lau’s books. Sure, they’re funny and there’s a romance, but there’s also usually a focus on heavier subject matter, and that’s the case with this book as well. A large part of the book is Ryan dealing with his grief over his mother’s death earlier that year and the effects on his family. Ryan’s mom was the family glue, the one who was always reaching out and dropping by with food, and her sudden death from a heart attack has left everyone reeling. Ryan is especially floundering with his relationship with his dad, who he feels like hasn’t approved of him since he dropped out of his engineering program. His dad generally looks down on entertainment programs, especially things designed for laughs like the sitcoms and rom-coms Ryan’s acted in. Attempts to call him end in grunts or angry responses. Plus, his sister just had a baby and seems to be struggling, but Ryan has no idea how to help her, and his dad seems even more disconnected from her as well. If he can’t manage his relationships with his family, what hope does he have with a romantic relationship?

The only person Ryan feels like he can open up to is Lindsay. Lindsay’s father died when she was 22, and that’s when she decided to work toward opening a bakery with her friend, so he finds it easy to talk about how much his mother loved baking shows and the reason he wants to do so well on it. Lindsay’s got her own family problems. Her mother has started dating again, and it’s bringing up a lot of weird feelings for her and her brother, so at the start of the book, Lindsay’s feeling pretty down. Her best friend and business partner just got married, and her new roommate seems to want nothing to do with her. She’s struggled with making friends – or having relationships – since her dad’s death, preferring to focus on her business. But Ryan’s vulnerability – and eventual friendship – with her lead her to open up to him as well.

“I went to see your movie with my friend. Your abs were in high definition and almost as tall as I am, and now I can’t look at you without thinking about it.”


Their relationship was a lot of fun. Of course it starts out with quite a bit of lust (those abs!) but as they get to know each other, they become friends. Ryan respects Lindsay’s competency in the kitchen and how generally no-nonsense she is, while Lindsay likes the bumbling and nervous aspects of Ryan that the public never sees. A lot of flirting over buttercream slowly turns into Lindsay deciding that a one-night-stand would be pretty fun, never anticipating that Ryan would actually want to date her. Ryan’s an actor and a sex symbol, though, and he’ll be leaving Toronto to film soon anyway. Lyndsay knows she should just enjoy it while it lasts, but suddenly all this vulnerability has led to a lot of feelings. Certainly it would be better to nip this relationship in the bud before it goes too far, right?

On top of all the grief, at the same time Ryan’s afraid of how his latest rom-com is performing. A bad showing means studios will take fewer chances on movies with Asian leads, and Ryan can’t help but feel responsible. There’s a lot of talk about racism, from how Lyndsay’s mother’s experience as a first-generation Chinese woman in a mostly English environment, to racism in media, like reporters being unable to distinguish between Ryan and his best friend, a comedian. And that’s not even mentioning the trolls on social media…

On a more positive note, with Lindsay running a bakery and Ryan practicing with her for the baking show, of course there’s lots of deliciousness. There’s the titular donuts (matcha tiramisu ones, no less), plus cupcakes (lemon meringue) and cakes (double fudge). There’s boba and sushi and delicious coffee and beer with funny mythological names. It all sounded mouth-wateringly good, even Lindsay’s initial joke about thinking that Ryan wanted her to make a butter pecan cake of his abs.

Overall, another lovely Jackie Lau book, and definitely one you’ll want to have some sweets on hand for!

I received an advance review copy of this book from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I absolutely adored this dual perspective romance about two Asian Canadians falling in love over donuts set in Toronto! Lindsay runs her own bakery and Ryan is a semi famous actor known for his rock hard abs who is taking a break after the recent death of his mother.

The two meet when Ryan walks into Lindsay's store knocking over a tray of her specialty matcha donuts. When Ryan signs up for a celebrity baking competition show he asks Lindsay to help teach him how to bake, leading to some sizzling chemistry that eventually brings the two together.

What I really loved the most (other than all the baking in this book), is how much family was a central part of the story. Ryan is trying to be there for his sister, who has recently given birth and dealing with postpartum, and also trying to connect with his stoic father - using Twitter as the means of communication in the most hilarious ways. Lindsay lost her father at a young age too and is able to relate to Ryan's grief.

Overall this was just a heartwarming love story and it was great to have it featuring Canadians in a Canadian city! Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advance review copy. I switched between my physical book and the audiobook and really enjoyed both. Highly recommended, especially for fans of Accidentally engaged, The donut trap or Hana Khan carries on.

Donut Fall in Love has a pretty simple premise- gorgeous actor meets slightly shy baker and hit it off, but there is a lot of depth under that layer of pretty frosting. As an Asian-American actor, Ryan feels like he represents all Asians and the sub-par reviews for his starring role in a recent rom-com could be used as a reason to hold back himself and other Asians for top roles. Both of our main characters also had family issues, some of which were quite funny, and added layers to these characters that a “baking and hot actor romance” may not normally see. I was pleasantly surprised and pleased.

What I did find lacking were the jokes about Ryan’s looks, his abs, and just general handsomeness. I thought this author had done a good job at setting this novel up as being relevant and different, and I thought those mentions lacked the sensitivity that the other topics brought to this novel. On the flip side, I loved all of the baking details! Those baking classes created a nice visual and made me want to run out to the closest cupcake place and snack on a dozen. Yum!

Despite the plethora of baked goods that inhabited my dreams the night I finished this novel or maybe because of them, I decided I enjoyed Donut Fall in Love more than I was scared away by Ryan’s slight cheesiness and self-aggrandizing. I liked the message the author was trying to deliver in both Ryan and Lyndsay’s characters and enjoyed their love story more than I had imagined I would. So, if you are immune to baked goods and want to spend time with a hot actor and a sweet baker, check out this novel for a light-hearted romance with some hidden depths. It may surprise you as it did me!

❤️❤️❤️❣️

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for my honest review and it was honest.

“He kissed her as if it was the easiest thing in the world, like kissing was simply the right thing to do when the two of them were together.”

Ryan Kwok is an actor that’s known for his abs. When his recent romcom movie receives negative reviews and the loss of his mom, he moves back to his hometown to be close to his family. While on a walk, he stumbles upon a local bakery and ends up knocking over all the donuts. Lindsay has been struggling with her dating life, and her personal life especially after her dad passed away years ago. She didn’t expect for the same guy that bumped into her to ask for help with baking lessons, but Ryan wants to win the reality baking show that his mom used to love.

They both can’t deny their attraction towards each other, but Ryan is worried that his fame will be too much and Lindsay is worried that he will find someone that’s more in his world. Will things between them become a recipe for disaster?

Donut Fall in Love was a good blend between sweetness and serious topics! Lindsay and Ryan were able to relate to each other when it comes to losing a parent, as well as the lack of being in a relationship which caused lots of doubts and insecurities but they were able to overcome it together.

🍩READ IF YOU LIKE🍩:
- dual POV
- baker x actor romance
- family dynamics
- a dad that trolls his son on twitter
- donuts, cupcakes, bubble tea and espresso
- teasing & witty banter
- baking show competition
- Asian x LGBTQ+ representation
- Notting Hill (but gender swapped)
- so many abs photo #StarringRyanKwoksAbs

cw: loss of parents, cancer, heart attack, mention of racism, stereotypes, postpartum depression, body shaming, cyberbully, slut shaming

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkeley Publishing Group for the advanced copy! Donut Fall in Love is available on October 26, 2021!

This is a fun book that made me hungry for all the donuts Lindsey made in this sweet (deliberate pun) book.
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The book definitely centers around the main characters, Lindsay, a bakery owner who specializes in unique donuts, and Ryan, an actor who is spending some down time with family after his mother had passed away. Oh, Ryan’s abs also have a staring role in this book and I really need a visual there!
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Ryan literally runs into Lindsay and soon decides that she is the perfect person to help him get ready for a celebrity baking competition. Things heat up and it’s not just the ovens!
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I am a big fan of “Nailed It” so this book’s take on the cooking competition kept my interest. I would really fail on that show but I would frequent Lindsay’s bakery!

It is available tomorrow so you can grab it, be sure to pick up some donuts too. You will want them!
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This novel is very sweet. Almost too sweet. I really enjoyed all the donut / bakery / food scenes, but as for the "romance," I feel like something didn't quite hit the mark. I don't know if maybe I thought Ryan and Lindsay fell in love too fast, or if they spent too much time in bed rather than actually communicating, but it didn't seem like they quite "went" together. Ryan spends a good portion of the book mooning around; I didn't really like him as a character.

To summarize, this book is a sugary-sweet quick-read that you will probably like one way or another if you're a foodie. Thanks, Netgalley, for my arc.

Two great things that go great together: baked goods and rom-coms!

Thank you so much to @berkleyromance for this free eArc of Donut Fall in Love. I am so lucky to be a #berkleypartner.

This sweet romance is sort of a reverse Notting Hill. Lindsay is a bakery owner, Ryan is a Hollywood movie star. They have an adorable meet-cute involving donuts and from there we go on a fairy quick journey that takes us from grief and loss, mental health, family dynamics, social media mentality, job expectations, baked goods, career aspirations, relationship dynamics...its a whirlwind but it comes together as a really thoughtful romance.

Oh, and its pretty damn steamy. I'll just say I never minded how many times she mentions sexy forearms and abs. These two have spicy chemistry and they are not afraid to dig in.

I am a huge fan of Toronto, Canada. Its one of my favorite places in the world. I'm also a huge fan of baked goods. #bodybycupcake. Naturally I gravitated toward this book. My favorite thing about this book is the open communication between the two main characters. There is a bit of the "my wrong assumptions are getting in the way" toward the end, but most of this book has the characters clearly telling each other what they are thinking. Miscommunication is my least favorite trope so I found this book very refreshing.

I also appreciated the mentions of racism in Hollywood, microaggressions, social media bullying, mental health and familial expectations in this book.

Overall, I think this book was pretty cute, if you don't mind some insta-love and some deeper themes in your rom-coms, you'll eat this one up!

This is a cute rom com between a Hollywood star and a Boutique Donut baker. Ryan Kwok is a Hollywood actor taking a break in Toronto visiting his family after his latest rom com panned with critics. He runs into Lindsey McLeod, a bakery owner, literally in an adorable meet cute.

Ryan hires Lindsay to help him as he prepares for a Baking Show. Though it's a celebrity baking contest and he doesn't have to be perfect, he doesn't want to embarrass himself and he wants to get to know her better.

This book brought up the racial issues in Hollywood and that Ryan's movies success or failure meant the next Asian actor might not get a chance, which sucks and is so much pressure.

They both were grieving the loss of a parent as well. Ryan's mother's death was more recent. His sister was pregnant at her death (and if you read my posts you know that my father passed away during my 2nd daughters pregnancy). She lost a huge support system and her Dad couldn't handle the grief. It was really hard on her whole family. I can definitely relate though my older sister has kids and my mom is amazing so I made it through but my Dad was the baby whisperer.

Lindsey's late father was white and her mother is Chinese and her mother is dating again. I love that she helps out in Ryan's life since they are struggling. We all need surrogate mom's at times in our lives.

I've always wondered how celebrities handle the paparazzi and get so grossed out with they are just like us. Like well yeah they aren't aliens, leave them alone.

The romance was steamy and hard due to his celebrity, and the baking competition training and show was fun.

I'm curious to see if Melvin will get his own story next. He seems like he has a story to tell.

Thank you berkleyromance and netgalley for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.

Donut Fall in Love is my first introduction to Jackie Lau's writing, but it won't be my last read.

Ryan Kwok is a movie star that recently starred in a rom-com where a hashtag for his abs, the real star of the movie, got started. While reeling with what the reviews of his movie mean for future Asian leads in rom-coms, Ryan agrees to be a guest on a celebrity episode of a baking show similar to Nailed It, But he knows that he needs help to not look like a total fool. After literally running into a bakery owner, Lindsay, he decides to call her up to see if she'd be willing to give private lessons. As they spend more time together sparks and frosting fly. The real question is, can their relationship and Lindsay handle the attention?

I am obsessed with baking and baking shows, so the premise of this one was great. The food descriptions had me craving donuts and cupcakes. The romance between Ryan and Lindsay felt genuine and sweet. Watching both of them grow and deal with their struggles was heartwarming. I loved the care that Lau took with discussing grief, the death of a parent, postpartum depression, and Asian stereotypes in media. This was definitely heavier and less on the romance side than most romances I read, and I do wish that there had been a little more growth of their relationship together.

The real MVPs are the donuts and Ryan's dad's Twitter account.

I love the romance genre, especially the direction it seems to be moving towards in modern day publishing, but unfortunately, that means there is a lot of room for error. Over-used tropes, cliche characters, and repeated storylines are just a few of the modern day romance trademarks that bring my overall rating of a book down.

Donut Fall in Love was a solid 3.5 star read for me. The two main characters were likable, the story was written in third person (which I love), and it had a genuinely satisfying ending to a genuinely satisfying story. Unfortunately, it seemed like the second half of the story (around where the two main characters officially got together) hinged on cliches. From that point on in the book, the conflict felt forced. I was pulling for the main characters, but there was a point where I couldn't get myself to care.

Donut Fall in Love is likely to become a fan favorite in the romance genre, but don't expect anything new.

Donuts? Let me at it.

Well, I had at it, and while I liked Donut Fall in Love, that was it. So much so that a day later I have even forgotten the MC's names, so this one really didn't stick with me.

To me, and this is just me, it dragged. There was so much where it just plodded along, and it might be my mindset when reading, so I don't know if this is a problem with anyone else.

I did like that we have Asian main characters - I know there are getting to be more, but it was nice to see the diversity, as the world isn't just filled with really, really, ridiculously good looking white people.

I think my favourite character in the end was our leading man Ryan's dad - he is so much like so many older parents that even when he frustrated me, he was so relevant and made me laugh - note, please don't ever let my father near Twitter!!

Also, warning - do not read on an empty stomach, as there is lots of cakey goodness inside.