Jackie Lau

A baker provides the sweetest escape for an actor in this charming romantic comedy. Actor Ryan Kwok is back in Toronto after the promotional tour for his latest film, a rom-com that is getting less-than-stellar reviews. After years of constant work and the sudden death of his mother, Ryan is taking some much-needed time off. But as he tries to be supportive to his family, he struggles with his loss and doesn't know how to talk to his dad--who now trolls him on Twitter instead of meeting him for dim sum. Innovative baker Lindsay McLeod meets Ryan when he knocks over two dozen specialty donuts at her bakery. Their relationship is off to a messy start, but there's no denying their immediate attraction. When Ryan signs up for a celebrity episode of Baking Fail, he asks Lindsay to teach him how to bake and she agrees. As Lindsay and Ryan spend time together, bonding over grief and bubble tea, it starts to feel like they're cooking up something sweeter than cupcakes in the kitchen.

Donut Fall in Love

As much as I love donuts, this book didn't rise to the occasion for me (Yes... I saw a pun opportunity, and I took it). The book follows Ryan, a famous actor who is going on a celebrity baking competition... but he doesn't know how to bake. Enter Lindsay, a professional baker who Ryan literally runs into on accident. Talk about meet cute! Lindsay teaches Ryan the ins and outs of baking at her bakery where sparks and sprinkles fly! 

There were definitely parts of the book that I enjoyed. For one, the premise of this book was pretty cute! I mean, it's hard not to want to read a book centered on donuts. It is definitely a Hallmark movie in the making. The unifying theme of baking bringing others together was a cool concept, and as someone who loves baked sweets, I loved seeing this food dynamic brought to life. 

As for the characters, I liked most of the characters. Emphasis on most. The side characters such as Ryan's comedian friend and Lindsay's roommate were not all that likeable, in my opinion, but this could have been on purpose. They work as a foil to Ryan and Lindsay creating a way for them to reflect on their life and actions. Regardless, it was hard to find these these two uber judgey people to be likeable. As for the protagonists, Ryan and Lindsay were a sweet couple that you are rooting for to stay together and overcome their past relationship traumas. They definitely had chemistry, especially in the kitchen. The way they met was like a Rom-Com meet cute, and the way they got together was actually really believable. 

The book isn't just about romance thought as it also tackles racism and the impact of Asian stereotypes in the entertainment industry that I found really interesting. I really appreciated how this topic was tackled as it was informative without being too much. 

Unfortunately, I didn't love everything about this book. A huge negative for me was the style. It was hard to get into this book and connect with the characters as I was told the context and their personality through the character's narration instead of learning through the dialogue, their actions, or through their interaction with others. While this technique is fine in small doses, the way you learn most anything in this book is through this "tell, not show," and I didn't like that. I didn't learn about the big plot points from Ryan and Lindsay sharing with each other or through what they did, I learned it through their inner narrative as they "caught me up" on who they were. It honestly felt really lazy, and I really did not like that. 

The book also tackles the topic of grief. I hate to say it...but I honestly did not feel it. I know that they characters were sad because I was told they were sad. I didn't feel it though. It could be because I didn't know the characters that passed, but I feel like if it was such a big plot point, I should also feel for the characters who lost them like Ryan with his mom. It unfortunately was not the case. 

There was also a 3rd act miscommunication breakup that made no sense at all. It was like both characters just gave up over the smallest fight, and it made the build up of their whole relationship feel pointless. 

 Overall, the book is sweet (pun always intended 😉), but it left me feeling flat. I would recommend if you want something quick and want to have a craving for donuts for days after reading, then give this a shot. Just know, it may not be the best thing ever. 

Kendall V

As much as I love donuts, this book didn't rise to the occasion for me (Yes... I saw a pun opportunity, and I took it). The book follows Ryan, a famous actor who is going on a celebrity baking competition... but he doesn't know how to bake. Enter Lindsay, a professional baker who Ryan literally runs into on accident. Talk about meet cute! Lindsay teaches Ryan the ins and outs of baking at her bakery where sparks and sprinkles fly! 

There were definitely parts of the book that I enjoyed. For one, the premise of this book was pretty cute! I mean, it's hard not to want to read a book centered on donuts. It is definitely a Hallmark movie in the making. The unifying theme of baking bringing others together was a cool concept, and as someone who loves baked sweets, I loved seeing this food dynamic brought to life. 

As for the characters, I liked most of the characters. Emphasis on most. The side characters such as Ryan's comedian friend and Lindsay's roommate were not all that likeable, in my opinion, but this could have been on purpose. They work as a foil to Ryan and Lindsay creating a way for them to reflect on their life and actions. Regardless, it was hard to find these these two uber judgey people to be likeable. As for the protagonists, Ryan and Lindsay were a sweet couple that you are rooting for to stay together and overcome their past relationship traumas. They definitely had chemistry, especially in the kitchen. The way they met was like a Rom-Com meet cute, and the way they got together was actually really believable. 

The book isn't just about romance thought as it also tackles racism and the impact of Asian stereotypes in the entertainment industry that I found really interesting. I really appreciated how this topic was tackled as it was informative without being too much. 

Unfortunately, I didn't love everything about this book. A huge negative for me was the style. It was hard to get into this book and connect with the characters as I was told the context and their personality through the character's narration instead of learning through the dialogue, their actions, or through their interaction with others. While this technique is fine in small doses, the way you learn most anything in this book is through this "tell, not show," and I didn't like that. I didn't learn about the big plot points from Ryan and Lindsay sharing with each other or through what they did, I learned it through their inner narrative as they "caught me up" on who they were. It honestly felt really lazy, and I really did not like that. 

The book also tackles the topic of grief. I hate to say it...but I honestly did not feel it. I know that they characters were sad because I was told they were sad. I didn't feel it though. It could be because I didn't know the characters that passed, but I feel like if it was such a big plot point, I should also feel for the characters who lost them like Ryan with his mom. It unfortunately was not the case. 

There was also a 3rd act miscommunication breakup that made no sense at all. It was like both characters just gave up over the smallest fight, and it made the build up of their whole relationship feel pointless. 

 Overall, the book is sweet (pun always intended 😉), but it left me feeling flat. I would recommend if you want something quick and want to have a craving for donuts for days after reading, then give this a shot. Just know, it may not be the best thing ever. 

this was a near perfectly executed romantic comedy and i will be taking no questions at this time

kels

Aditi

Trigger Warnings: death of a parent, cancer, biphobia

Fun and fast paced. I liked both the main characters and I liked them together. This one was more focused on the characters as individuals than just the romantic relationship which I enjoyed. The characters felt more well rounded and fleshed out. They get together way too soon (before the 50% mark) and the third act conflict was pretty stupid and resolved way too quickly.

THE FOOT MASSAGE SCENE GEEZ 
This was super cute
I loved the premise and the beginning how they met and everything was just super cute.
I’ve read a lot of books in between this one I kinda forgot about it huttt
Just simplistic

Jana Jenkinns 

Cute little love story based in Toronto. I love when I find a book set in Canada with a bunch of Canadian specifics. Also, any book that includes Nanaimo bars - it's a yes from me. Ryan was a great love interest, Lindsay was a wonderful MC. I loved the concept and, though the execution was a bit wordy, I really liked the story. The characters felt relatively fleshed out, the setting could have used a bit more. I felt like there's so much life in Toronto streets that were ignored and could have added to the setting nicely. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed the book, shout out to NetGalley for hooking me up with a copy.

Lauren Sullivan

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.

Content notes: (view spoiler)[death of a parent from cancer (before book starts), death of a parent from heart attack (before book starts), grief, racism, postpartum depression, homophobia/biphobia, alcohol (hide spoiler)]

Heather Harrington

I thought this was cute, but way too boring.  I also didn't love Lau's writing style. It was almost too descriptive at times, and I found myself wishing she'd just get to the point. I didn't feel much chemistry between Ryan and Lindsay, and even the secondary characters felt like placeholders. The conflict between Ryan and Lindsay in the third act was also completely silly. However, I did enjoy the baking aspects and how Lau handled discussions around racism, grief, and even postpartum depression. So, while I didn't click with it, I can see how it would appeal to others.

Leonie

I’m a sucker for bakery and food themes in romance, especially if there’s also a competition involved, so this sounded like the perfect read for me. And Donut Fall in Love really started out as a sweet story. Pun intended.

Ryan Kwok is a famous actor who has decided to take some time off after his mother’s sudden death to spend time with his sister and reconnect with his father.
Lindsay McLeod is a baker who owns Kensington Bakery.
They meet each other literally bumping into each other at the bakery, spilling a batch of donuts.

Ryan is not only dealing with his grief for his mother, his last movie also turned out to be somewhat of a flop. He is not doing so well and he’s aware of it. When he gets the chance to star in a celebrity episode of Baking Fail, a show his mother used to love, he decides to take baking lessons to not make a complete fool of himself. And who’d be a better teacher than Lindsay?

In the beginning I really liked Ryan. He was proactive and ready to take lessons to learn how to bake. There’s even a scene when he’s taking notes while watching episodes of Baking Fail. Adorable. He was motivated and I appreciated his dedication.
He was also trying his best to fix things with his family and keep them together.
Another nice thing was that he was able to laugh at himself and didn’t take himself too seriously. It made him a very likeable person.
I also loved his dad, who started a Twitter account, gaining quite the audience for posting about his son.

Lindsay was an alright character too. She was really confident when it came to baking, but had trust issues and struggled with making new friends, something she desperately wanted.

Lindsay and Ryan had good chemistry and were very cute together. Their banter was fun to read about.
About halfway through the book they became a couple.

And then it went downhill.

The story got repetitive and started to drag, and Ryan started to annoy me by constantly talking about his body, taking photos of his abs for his fans, and reading comments about himself online. He also started behaving overly cheesy, which could have been cute, but was too over the top for me.

At some point Lindsay got incredibly insecure about dating someone famous, which was somewhat understandable, but it was still something that could’ve probably been fixed with some communication.

Overall I really liked the first half of this book, but was disappointed be the second half.


[I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.]

Anna Agarwal

A baker provides the sweetest escape for an actor in this charming romantic comedy. Actor Ryan Kwok is back in Toronto after the promotional tour for his latest film, a rom-com that is getting less-than-stellar reviews. After years of constant work and the sudden death of his mother, Ryan is taking some much-needed time off. But as he tries to be supportive to his family, he struggles with his loss and doesn't know how to talk to his dad—who now trolls him on Twitter instead of meeting him for dim sum. Innovative baker Lindsay McLeod meets Ryan when he knocks over two dozen specialty donuts at her bakery. Their relationship is off to a messy start, but there’s no denying their immediate attraction. When Ryan signs up for a celebrity episode of Baking Fail, he asks Lindsay to teach him how to bake and she agrees. As Lindsay and Ryan spend time together, bonding over grief and bubble tea, it starts to feel like they’re cooking up something sweeter than cupcakes in the kitchen.

Jerilynn 

I positively full heartedly adored and loved 🥰 this book 📖 it is going on my 2021 favorites list on Goodreads!❤️ As a mixed race API woman I appreciate the Asian representation as well as the witty, and sarcastic humor in this novel. I’m a sucker for any romance that has food/ baking aspect that gives me all the feels as well as satisfying my sweet tooth. 

This book also discusses/features serious topics such as loss of a loved one. Racism, sense of identity, breaking the mold that society sets for API community especially views of masculinity and attractiveness among society and Asian men. This part really hit home for me I couldn’t help but think of my brother, cousins, and uncles it is refreshing to see these things brought to light and discussed as well as mental health, sexuality within the community.

I really loved Ryan’s dad. He is a bit of a grump but underneath his grouchiness he has a heart ❤️ he reminded me of an uncle of mine.

This story was too sweet if your looking for something sweet with a bit of steam but also has multi layers of serious topics with a swoon worthy hero and a sweet heroine with a too cute meet cute. This book maybe for you. I highly recommend. 😊

Donut Fall in Love

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