Julie Tieu

Julie Tieu sparkles in this debut romantic comedy, which is charmingly reminiscent of the TV show Kim's Convenience and Frankly in Love by David Yoon, about a young woman who feels caught in the life her parents have made for her until she falls in love and finds a way out of the donut trap. Jasmine Tran has landed herself behind bars--maple bars that is. With no boyfriend or job prospects, Jasmine returns home to work at her parents' donut shop. Jasmine quickly loses herself in a cyclical routine of donuts, Netflix, and sleep. She wants to break free from her daily grind, but when a hike in rent threatens the survival of their shop, her parents rely on her more than ever. Help comes in the form of an old college crush, Alex Lai. Not only is he successful and easy on the eyes, to her parents' delight, he's also Chinese. He's everything she should wish for, until a disastrous dinner reveals Alex isn't as perfect as she thinks. Worse, he doesn't think she's perfect either. With both sets of parents against their relationship, a family legacy about to shut down, and the reappearance of an old high school flame, Jasmine must scheme to find a solution that satisfies her family's expectations and can get her out of the donut trap once and for all.

A Novel

The Donut Trap

Rebecca Briesemeister

** spoiler alert **
           3.5 Stars
This book was a great read. Jasmine is the daughter of immigrant parents and is struggling to find herself with their high expectations constantly overpowering her desires. While I feel this book lacked in some parts of the romance plot, everything else was really captivating.
I really enjoyed learning about Jasmine and reading her struggles. I thought her voice was super important and showcases a real struggle many people have as they try to combat the expectations they have for themselves and the traditions put on them by their family. 
The donut shop aspect of this novel was so much fun to read and I loved hearing Jasmine and her brother bond through trying to save their parents shop while trying new flavors and techniques. I really liked seeing her passion grow with something she finally felt apart of. An alternative ending I would've liked to see would be Jasmine staying at the donut shop or even coming back to it after finding so much fun in creating and taking ownership of new flavors. 
I really enjoyed the romance parts during the first half of this book. After Alex met Jasmine's parents and Jasmine met his mom, I felt the romance fell flat and stayed static. I enjoyed the drama but missed some of the sparks that were there before that conflict. 
Recommended for anyone who is looking for a fun read that wants an emphasis on self, relationship, and family developments

Julie Tieu sparkles in this debut romantic comedy, which is charmingly reminiscent of the TV show Kim’s Convenience and Frankly in Love by David Yoon, about a young woman who feels caught in the life her parents have made for her until she falls in love and finds a way out of the donut trap. Jasmine Tran has landed herself behind bars—maple bars that is. With no boyfriend or job prospects, Jasmine returns home to work at her parents’ donut shop. Jasmine quickly loses herself in a cyclical routine of donuts, Netflix, and sleep. She wants to break free from her daily grind, but when a hike in rent threatens the survival of their shop, her parents rely on her more than ever. Help comes in the form of an old college crush, Alex Lai. Not only is he successful and easy on the eyes, to her parents’ delight, he’s also Chinese. He’s everything she should wish for, until a disastrous dinner reveals Alex isn’t as perfect as she thinks. Worse, he doesn’t think she’s perfect either. With both sets of parents against their relationship, a family legacy about to shut down, and the reappearance of an old high school flame, Jasmine must scheme to find a solution that satisfies her family’s expectations and can get her out of the donut trap once and for all.

Nikki

"If the measure of success was that I was living a more comfortable, easier life than they had, then why was I simultaneously penalized for it?"

imo this is book realistically depicts children of immigrants trying to reach their own goals but is held back by the cultural values instilled to them by their immigrant parents. and especially as a daughter, there would always be a different expectation that jasmine has to overcome. it was such a big part of the book that i really teared up when jasmine opened up to her parents and her dad said i love you in mandarin to her and her brother.

it didn't matter to me that the romance took a step back because i appreciated reading jasmine's story. 4.5 stars <3

Nicki

A good enough book, but not exactly what I thought it would be. This is more women's fiction that romcom I would say. I think many people will be able to relate Jasmine, I just wanted more out of this book. If I had to compare this to another book, it has the same vibe as Honey Girl.

This book was a great read. Jasmine is the daughter of immigrant parents and is struggling to find herself with their high expectations constantly overpowering her desires. While I feel this book lacked in some parts of the romance plot, everything else was really captivating.
I really enjoyed learning about Jasmine and reading her struggles. I thought her voice was super important and showcases a real struggle many people have as they try to combat the expectations they have for themselves and the traditions put on them by their family. 
The donut shop aspect of this novel was so much fun to read and I loved hearing Jasmine and her brother bond through trying to save their parents shop while trying new flavors and techniques. I really liked seeing her passion grow with something she finally felt apart of. An alternative ending I would've liked to see would be Jasmine staying at the donut shop or even coming back to it after finding so much fun in creating and taking ownership of new flavors. 
I really enjoyed the romance parts during the first half of this book. After Alex met Jasmine's parents and Jasmine met his mom, I felt the romance fell flat and stayed static. I enjoyed the drama but missed some of the sparks that were there before that conflict. 
Recommended for anyone who is looking for a fun read that wants an emphasis on self, relationship, and family developments

Sahi K

This was a fun one for the most part, especially with Natalie’s narration of the audiobook. I guess I just feel very uncomfortable these days with books exploring Asian parents’ relationships with their children, because they hit too close my heart and current situation and I don’t want to encounter in books too. The resolution also never feels satisfactory because I probably am looking for something different personally. But it’s unfair to project my insecurities onto the book. 

I however have to say that I seem to have lost my touch with contemporary romance novels these days, so this one didn’t necessarily excite me. It was cute while I was reading, the love story was only a small part, loved the donuts, but ultimately it was nothing very special. Also, I love when I can understand little mandarin words and phrases.

Candyce Kirk

Dawy

This was a cute coming-of-age story about a college grad who's trying to figure out her next steps in life all the while working at her parents' donut shop. I appreciated the Asian American representation and the complicated parent-child dynamics that were explored. I wasn't really invested in the romance--I felt like it happened kind of fast, and it also felt very secondary to the plot compared to Jas's relationship with her parents and her brother. While it was an enjoyable quick read, I wish I'd been able to feel a stronger connection with Jas and her story.

Linda Quintanilla

I truly bonded with The Donut Trap. I have experience with immigrant parents' expectations for you, so I understand how frustrated Jasmine is. It's hard to live up to your immigrant parents expectations because they sacrifice so much to live the dreams that they could not have. But sometimes their dreams are different from your own dreams. And that's going to be challenging for Jasmine because she is going to realize how much she is willing to take.

Jerilynn 

Super cute/ fun lol read! Adorable parents 🥰 Relateable heroine but the romance was a bit rushed/ insta lovey and underdeveloped. But the Donuts 🍩❤️😊

Leonie

This was pretty enjoyable. The book had one of my pet peeves though: meddling family members. I also disliked both of the mcs parents.
My main issue though was that I didn’t really feel any chemistry between Jasmine and Alex. They lacked that certain spark and seemed more like friends than lovers.
Overall a short and entertaining read, but nothing special.



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

The Donut Trap A Novel

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