I’ve been looking forward to The Donut Trap for months now. Not only am I obsessed with donuts, I love this idea of Jasmine trying to break free. Of second chance romances and family. Keep reading this book review for my full thoughts.
Summary
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.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
From the beginning, I felt like Alex and Jasmine’s chemistry was charming. But I think the reason I enjoyed The Donut Trap so much was because Jasmine resonated with me. The ways she loves her family, but also wants some space. How she feels stuck in this trap she had a hand in making. And the ways she isn’t sure what she wants to do? It felt so utterly relatable. I appreciate seeing this type of character in a romance book.
I want to see more characters who don’t know what they want to do, more of these moments between degrees and this idea of ‘the future’. The Donut Trap is a book that I enjoyed immensely from start to finish. Everything from the actual donut shop, to the relationship between Jasmine and her family, all the way to her relationship with Alex. These moments where we have to ask ourselves what this relationship brings to our lives. What any relationship brings to our life.
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The Donut Trap, in many ways, examines what happens when we are so used to doing the same things we have always done. And that moment when we need a change. We can expect something from our past, past mistakes and behavior. Because when it happens we think we’re justified, when in reality we’ve just been looking for that. The Donut Trap exposes how to open up our heart, to be vulnerable with people, and to find our own journey.
Find The Donut Trap on Goodreads, Amazon, Indiebound, Bookshop.org & The Book Depository.
Great review! I felt like the author did a great job capturing what post-grad looks like for young people nowadays.
Definitely, and that has to be one of my favorite elements for sure