maggies's review
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Romance was a definitely a subplot in this novel, so if you're looking for standard romance fare, this isn't the place to find it. Jasmine is on a journey of self-discovery, torn between her parents' expectations and her own heart, and that's the focus for a good 80% of the book. Where romance was on the menu, it fell flat for me. Not a huge fan of love triangle/infidelity/jealousy storylines, and I was also frustrated that Very pot-calling-the-kettle-black. However, I loved reading about the family running their donut shop (even if I found the whole social media as deus ex machina plot points tired and oversimplified) and learning how to communicate with each other. It's an ongoing process!
Spoiler
Jasmine never seemed to make the connection between her lying to her parents about Michael and Alex and how she felt when Alex lied to his mother about her.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia
Minor: Infidelity
mydearwatsonbooks's review
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fatphobia
Minor: Sexual content, Infidelity, Drug use, Xenophobia, Drug abuse, and Abandonment
kayladaila's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming and Emotional abuse
Minor: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Body horror, Classism, Colonisation, Genocide, Infidelity, Racism, Self harm, Stalking, and War
allisonwonderlandreads's review against another edition
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
This romance has a new adult feel, picking up on themes of directionlessness after college and the urge to make one's life impressive and cool even when it's anything but. Feeling stuck in her routines working at the family donut shop, Jas steps up to help draw in new customers with trendy flavors while she hunts for a career she can be excited about and tentatively starts seeing "the one who got away" from college. Through it all, she struggles with the pressures of meeting her parents' expectations and assuaging their worries about the state of her life. The story reflects on how Jas' experience as the daughter of refugees has translated into a push to be the perfect model of the American Dream™.
Jas' romance with Alex captures the stress of dating in the digital age, from overthinking texts to stalking social media accounts. Unfortunately, this part of the story didn't hold my interest very well. The single POV left Alex kind of flat. We hear often about how hot he is (Jas' words), and he's generally considerate and an ok guy. I don't have anything more enthusiastic than that. Jas' best friend instructs him on where to take her on a date and how to impress her, which left me even less certain about what he brought to the table. Several missteps on his part result in a chain of apologies throughout. The couple is always on tenuous ground, making it hard for me to get excited about.
In terms of Jas' non-romantic plot, she starts to take charge of her life right at the end of the book. While I appreciated the growth, I think it would have been nice to see more of that part of the journey compared to the majority spent on the buildup to action. If I wanted to feel that itch to stare miserably into the void, I just wouldn't pick up a book.
I think if you're interested in the non-romantic aspects of the story or don't mind that the romantic plot is largely confined to the early, rocky, get-to-know-you phase, you will find the plots about family and launching your life in a new direction to be thoughtful and multifaceted. I was lucky enough to win my copy in a Goodreads giveaway, and I appreciate the opportunity to read and review this book.
Jas' romance with Alex captures the stress of dating in the digital age, from overthinking texts to stalking social media accounts. Unfortunately, this part of the story didn't hold my interest very well. The single POV left Alex kind of flat. We hear often about how hot he is (Jas' words), and he's generally considerate and an ok guy. I don't have anything more enthusiastic than that. Jas' best friend instructs him on where to take her on a date and how to impress her, which left me even less certain about what he brought to the table. Several missteps on his part result in a chain of apologies throughout. The couple is always on tenuous ground, making it hard for me to get excited about.
In terms of Jas' non-romantic plot, she starts to take charge of her life right at the end of the book. While I appreciated the growth, I think it would have been nice to see more of that part of the journey compared to the majority spent on the buildup to action. If I wanted to feel that itch to stare miserably into the void, I just wouldn't pick up a book.
I think if you're interested in the non-romantic aspects of the story or don't mind that the romantic plot is largely confined to the early, rocky, get-to-know-you phase, you will find the plots about family and launching your life in a new direction to be thoughtful and multifaceted. I was lucky enough to win my copy in a Goodreads giveaway, and I appreciate the opportunity to read and review this book.
Content Warnings
Minor: Body shaming, Drug use, Racism, Sexism, Xenophobia, and Infidelity
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