taylorharmonies's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I found the main plot to be enjoyable and the anecdotes about the donut shop quite enjoyable. I was left wanting more of the family dynamics and her endeavors at the end of the book did not interest me in the slightest.
I feel this story needed more fine tuning. Scrap Michael completely as he is unnecessary and adds nothing to the plot nor creates any real tension; focus more time on developing Jasmine and Alex's romance; the characters felt flat and lacking depth; I didn't feel anything towards most of them.
Still, I found many cute moments in the beginning of the Jasmine/Alex love story, though by the end I found myself dissatisfied with Alex as a partner and a character.
I feel this story needed more fine tuning. Scrap Michael completely as he is unnecessary and adds nothing to the plot nor creates any real tension; focus more time on developing Jasmine and Alex's romance; the characters felt flat and lacking depth; I didn't feel anything towards most of them.
Still, I found many cute moments in the beginning of the Jasmine/Alex love story, though by the end I found myself dissatisfied with Alex as a partner and a character.
haechans's review against another edition
4.0
"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
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
vs2018's review against another edition
3.0
This book was a cute, sweet read. The storyline pushed a lot on the family dynamic and the culture of the characters. This was both informative and refreshing to read about. I left with a lot of insight into a different way of growing up. The romantic aspect of the book fell flat for me. I ended up not particularly liking the love interest by the end of the story. All in all it was a fast and light hearted read. Exactly what I was looking for.
alivaster's review against another edition
3.0
3 stars out of 5.
The audiobook was lovely, I enjoyed it! And it is a good option if you like audiobooks.
As for the novel? I had some mixed feelings.
The premise of the book was good. I was super interested and excited to read this book! Unfortunately, a friend of mine mischaracterized the book as two donut shops fighting it out? So enemies to lovers? But it was fine it wasn't like that. I just had to reframe my mindset and I didn't let this affect me reading.
What I liked about the story was the donuts and the family interactions. I could relate to it, and I thought it was decently well done. What shot down the number of stars? The romance storyline. Two guys, one girl, and all the storylines and possible intersections fell short of delivery of what could've/shouldn't been. You want to love and cheer for the characters, and this didn't happen for me. I wasn't smitten with either choice which was partially because of poor execution.
Plot-wise, we find out pretty quickly that Jasmine, the main character, had something happen to her in college which affected her a lot. The reveal came much too late so that the power of the reveal and the information was lukewarm at best. I felt that it could've been placed at a better location to create a positive impact and make a lot of things click into place for the reader for that 'aha!' moment. As it was, it just didn't work for me.
Overall, it was a cute read, but just fell short for me in a lot of ways.
The audiobook was lovely, I enjoyed it! And it is a good option if you like audiobooks.
As for the novel? I had some mixed feelings.
The premise of the book was good. I was super interested and excited to read this book! Unfortunately, a friend of mine mischaracterized the book as two donut shops fighting it out? So enemies to lovers? But it was fine it wasn't like that. I just had to reframe my mindset and I didn't let this affect me reading.
What I liked about the story was the donuts and the family interactions. I could relate to it, and I thought it was decently well done. What shot down the number of stars? The romance storyline. Two guys, one girl, and all the storylines and possible intersections fell short of delivery of what could've/shouldn't been. You want to love and cheer for the characters, and this didn't happen for me. I wasn't smitten with either choice which was partially because of poor execution.
Plot-wise, we find out pretty quickly that Jasmine, the main character, had something happen to her in college which affected her a lot. The reveal came much too late so that the power of the reveal and the information was lukewarm at best. I felt that it could've been placed at a better location to create a positive impact and make a lot of things click into place for the reader for that 'aha!' moment. As it was, it just didn't work for me.
Overall, it was a cute read, but just fell short for me in a lot of ways.
lucyisabella's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
nlindberg's review against another edition
2.0
It was ok. It wasn’t as much of a romance as I expected. It focuses much more on family dynamics. I didn’t like most of the characters. They all made poor choices, are a bit unhinged, and immature.
caitlinmaxwell's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
lunar_love_books's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
4.0
justab00kl0v1ngg1rl's review against another edition
4.0
I got this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.The story hooks you in from the start.Jasmine is a bit awkward and so was her romace which made this so enjoyable to read.