After graduating from UCLA, Jasmine Tran works at her family’s donut shop, having no idea what else to do with her life and very few prospects. Enter Alex Lai: her best friend’s boyfriend’s roommate—and her old crush. Things are going great between the two… until one fateful dinner when Alex finally meets Jasmine’s parents (his own mother in tow!) Turns out Alex lied to his mother about Jas's accomplishments to make her look better. Needless to say, the dinner does not go well and Alex has a lot of groveling to do. Meanwhile, Jasmine takes on a new job, one that gets her out of the donut shop.

This book is centered around lies and lying. What motivates someone to lie? Jas, under pressure from her strict parents, lies to them about going out, meeting new people, and doing new things. Alex, in a bid to make Jasmine seem like a ‘more suitable partner,’ lies about who she is and what she’s done with her life. But in the end, Jasmine and her parents navigate the lying minefield and have a real discussion that is wholly satisfying.

I listened to this one on audio and really enjoyed it! The dynamics (and difficulties) between the first-generation Chinese immigrant parents and the second-generation characters were so nuanced and complex. I really enjoyed vicariously exploring these cultural differences.

Thank you to #Netgalley for the ARC.

Most of the plot points and revelations felt contrived. The story gets a solid “it’s okay.” Nothing really stands out. I did like seeing the relationship between Jasmine and her parents play out.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Audio for the ARC. Natalie Naudus did a fabulous job with the narration.

What a fun book! The characters are well developed. The storyline is very believable. I could actually picture a donut shop in my community where I feel I could see Jasmine and her family. This is a great romcom for an enjoyable getaway.

I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed the narrator. She also seemed very believable in the portrayal of the characters.

Absolutely delightful and the narrator is wonderful. A recommended first purchase for all general fiction collections.

I love a story where the main character learns how to live her life on her own while navigating life with family and loved ones. The pacing was good, and the made me smile a lot. I loved every relationship in this book from the best friend to the love interest to the sibling to the parents. Being able to succeed in life after hardship and being afraid of the unknown is such a great lesson.