#GuestReview of The Donut Trap by Julie Tieu – a sweet read! @reads2love

ABOUT 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.

Julie Tieu is a Chinese-American writer, born and raised in Southern California. When she is not writing or working as a college counselor, she is reading, on the hunt for delicious eats, or dreaming about her next travel adventure. She lives in the Los Angeles area with her high school crush husband and two energetic daughters.

PRAISE FOR THE DONUT TRAP

“Julie Tieu’s debut is a sweet and sparkly love story about figuring out what you really want out of life and having the courage to go for it. Many readers will relate to Jasmine and her post-college struggles as she attempts to find love and a new job outside of her family’s donut shop. I loved her family and the way they supported each other, even when they didn’t always understand each other. This realistic, donut-filled romance is such a treat.”

— Kerry Winfrey, author of Waiting For Tom Hanks

“The Donut Trap is a fun romance as delicious as a perfectly glazed donut, but beneath the sweet romance, it’s also a richly developed story about the diaspora experience and the overwhelming sense of aimlessness that so often comes after graduating college. It’s an important coming-of-age story about walking the fine line between forging your own path and not disappointing the parents who have given up everything for you. Expect to cry and laugh, all while craving donuts!”

— Jesse Q. Sutanto, author of Dial A for Aunties

“This book gave me extreme heart eyes. The Donut Trap explores the post-college doldrums in a real and refreshing way, with a cast of charming characters, a sharp sense of humor, and a romance sweeter than frosting. A delectable debut!”

— Rachel Lynn Solomon, author of The Ex Talk

“A sweet treat of a debut. Jasmine grapples with the messiness of her own family’s dilemmas as she balances their wishes against her desires. Can she find love on her own terms and do what it takes to save the day? Donut miss this book!”

— Roselle Lim, author of Vanessa Yu’s Magical Paris Tea Shop

Nicole’s Review

★★★★

I grabbed this book because of the cutesy cover, and I love a good romantic comedy. Even though the main character, Jasmine, is in her twenties, I felt there was a lot that people of any age could relate to. She’s trying to find her way and is torn between family duty and wanting to be her own person. I think this is something that a lot of people can see in themselves – or can remember dealing with at her age. She spends so much time working for the family business, the time is whittling by without her figuring out things for herself. There’s also the relationship aspect – a family that wants you to find a partner, but no one is ever good enough. At times, I kind of got annoyed with some of her excuses or attitude, but that could be the mother in me. And don’t even get me started on her brother… But her drive to make the family business better without offending her parents was admirable. Her relationship with her parents was not a bad one and at times was kind of fun to read. The donuts all sounded delicious – I may have found myself indulging in extra sweets to appease my appetite. Jas’s relationship with Alex was sweet. He seemed to be trying so hard to make it work and really went the extra mile to get the girl. He really made me swoon while reading. I wish we had a chance to see more of them together. The best friend, Linh, was a good addition to the story. They really seemed to have a good friendship. All of the characters had a very real quality to them, and nothing in the story made me say, “Well that would never happen.” I would recommend this read to anyone looking for something light and fun. This book was sweet, with one off-page sex scene and some romantic kisses.
I received a copy from the publisher via netgalley for review.