The Donut Trap by Julie Tieu

Hi everyone!  I enjoy books written in OwnVoices for the insight they provide into other cultures.  The Donut Trap by Julie Tieu is a fun, contemporary romance with a central character who is the first generation born in the U.S.  This book is available now.

From The Publisher:

Jasmine Tran has landed herself behind bars—maple bars that are. 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.

Book Review:

I enjoyed this book.  Jasmine is a twenty-something woman living and working with her parents.  She’s completed college but feels she is unmarketable and lacks the confidence to seek out opportunities.  As a result, she works every day in her parents’ donut shop and feels her life is in a rut.

That is until she begins dating Alex Lai – the man she had a huge crush on while in college.  There’s lots of banter and sparks between the two until a family dinner seems to ruin it all.  Without giving anything away, not having your parent’s approval of who you’re dating impacts a new relationship.

The story will be relatable to many.  The characters were interesting and a little quirky. The story flowed easily and was a quick read. The challenge of needing parents’ approval was a theme in this book.  It was easy to see the inner conflict that this first generation born in a new country experiences.

Audiobook Review

I listened to the audiobook version of The Donut Trap which was performed by Natalie Naudus.  Her voice is sweet, articulate and easy to listen to.  I would not hesitate to recommend this format to those that enjoy audiobooks.

What I Liked:

• The OwnVoices author writes about the conflict experienced by the first generation born in a new country.
• The respect is given to older generations by young adults
• The sweet romance that blossoms between Jasmine and Alex.

I Recommend The Donut Trap to:

Those readers who enjoy contemporary romance novels.

My Rating:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Add The Donut Trap to your Goodreads shelf

Acknowledgments:

Thank you to HarperAudio and Netgalley for the copy of this audiobook in exchange for this honest review.

Similar Books I’ve Reviewed:

First Love, Take Two by Sajni Patel

The Dating Playbook by Farrah Rochon

Accidentally Engaged by Farah Heron

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