pucksandpaperbacks's review
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
CW: Ableist language, drug use, SA, alcohol, alcoholism, fatphobia.
Thank you to Libro.Fm for a copy of the audiobook through the ALC program.
Jasmine is in limbo after college working at her family’s donut shop and trying to make the next step toward her career but doesn’t know what she wants to do. So relatable for twenty-somethings to experience after college, especially just going to college to fulfill their parents wishes. I liked the incorporation of social media marketing!
There's a lot of expectation on Jasmine and her brother, Pat from their Chinese-Cambodian parents; especially for Jas to get a job but also get married. Mandarin and English are spoken, Jasmine does not speak Mandarin.
Thank you to Libro.Fm for a copy of the audiobook through the ALC program.
Jasmine is in limbo after college working at her family’s donut shop and trying to make the next step toward her career but doesn’t know what she wants to do. So relatable for twenty-somethings to experience after college, especially just going to college to fulfill their parents wishes. I liked the incorporation of social media marketing!
There's a lot of expectation on Jasmine and her brother, Pat from their Chinese-Cambodian parents; especially for Jas to get a job but also get married. Mandarin and English are spoken, Jasmine does not speak Mandarin.
Jasmine struggles with confidence and self worth due to the pressures from her parents and their comments. So she may be frustrating to read at times since she doesn't take accountability for her actions and also has a double standard.
Spoiler
Jas having a double standard. She doesn’t tell her parents that she is going out with Alex, but then when Alex’s mom calls him and he doesn’t mention he’s with her, she gets mad. Though, she’s doing the same thing.Overall, I think this would be a good movie! It was a relatable book and I liked how unique the setting was and the incorporation of marketing. But, the love triangle was tired and I didn't like how Jasmine didn't take accountability for her actions.
Spoiler
Jas hid her white bf from high school from her parents, Michael and Alex gets jealous. Though, Jas challenges him on it and tells him to stop being jealous of nothing. I do hate the jealousy tropes like that bc it shows they aren’t trustworthy or have trust issues.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism and Fatphobia
Moderate: Alcoholism, Sexual assault, and Alcohol
emilyinherhead's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
After graduating college, Jasmine Tran has returned home to live with her parents and work in the family’s donut shop. Her mom is constantly on her case about finding a boyfriend and a good job, but with all her time spent behind the counter of the shop, Jasmine has none left to search for either of those things. The stakes get higher when the family’s landlord raises their shop rent, making their small profit margin a problem that Jasmine must help solve.
Meanwhile, Jasmine’s best friend sets her up with her boyfriend’s roommate, Alex, whom Jasmine realizes she already knows from a brief but memorable encounter in college. And around the same time, Jasmine’s old high school boyfriend reappears in her life. Suddenly she finds herself navigating a complicated dating situation on top of searching for a job, preparing for her best friend to move away, figuring out a plan to save her family’s donut shop, and generally Getting Her Life Sorted Out.
The Donut Trap is a sweet and heartfelt romance of the closed-door variety (no steamy scenes), with a lot more to offer than just the love plot. Jasmine’s relationship with her immigrant parents is complicated and tender, her work at the donut shop entertainingly exasperating, and her quest to figure it all out very relatable. And because it’s a romance, a satisfyingly happy ending is guaranteed.
I’d definitely recommend this one to fans of the romance genre or folks looking to tiptoe into it!
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual assault
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