07/05/2021
A floundering heroine struggles to create a meaningful life for herself outside of her immigrant parents’ expectations in Tieu’s meandering debut. Jasmine “Jas” Tran’s parents set up Sunshine Donuts in an L.A. suburb after fleeing the Khmer Rouge and immigrating to the U.S. Jas has worked there since childhood, and after burning out on the pre-med track during her senior year at UCLA, she returns to the shop full-time, giving her parents more opportunities to critique her lack of social life, career, and boyfriend. Enter Jas’s old college crush, Alex Lai. The pair start dating, but Alex’s own struggles with his Chinese immigrant mother lead to an unfortunate dinner argument that aggravates Jas’s insecurities about her career. The narrative gives ample time to the fraught relationship between Jas and her parents, but at the expense of developing the romance between Jas and Alex, who bond over their similar traumas, but share little else. Meanwhile, the friend ex-machina through which Jas eventually finds professional fulfilment strains credulity. Still, the diverse cast and deliciously described donuts make up for some of these flaws. Readers looking for slow-paced, low-stakes romance should find plenty to enjoy. Agent: Laura Bradford, Bradford Literary. (Nov.)
"Donut miss this tasty treat! Julie Tieu is going on my auto-buy list. Her writing is as fresh and warm as a newly baked glazed. You need this book now." — Meg Cabot, author of the Little Bridge Island and Princess Diaries series
“Julie Tieu’s debut is a sweet and sparkly love story about figuring out what you really want out of life and having the courage to go for it. Many readers will relate to Jasmine and her post-college struggles as she attempts to find love and a new job outside of her family’s donut shop. I loved her family and the way they supported each other, even when they didn’t always understand each other. This realistic, donut-filled romance is such a treat.” — Kerry Winfrey, author of Waiting For Tom Hanks
"The Donut Trap is a fun romance as delicious as a perfectly glazed donut, but beneath the sweet romance, it's also a richly developed story about the diaspora experience and the overwhelming sense of aimlessness that so often comes after graduating college. It's an important coming-of-age story about walking the fine line between forging your own path and not disappointing the parents who have given up everything for you. Expect to cry and laugh, all while craving donuts!" — Jesse Q. Sutanto, Author of Dial A for Aunties
"A sweet, heartfelt romance about following your own path and following your heart. This relatable story is perfect for anyone who's ever felt uncertainty of who they are and where they belong." — Suzanne Park, Author of Loathe at First Sight and So We Meet Again
“This book gave me extreme heart eyes. The Donut Trap explores the post-college doldrums in a real and refreshing way, with a cast of charming characters, a sharp sense of humor, and a romance sweeter than frosting. A delectable debut!” — Rachel Lynn Solomon, author of The Ex Talk
“A sweet treat of a debut. Jasmine grapples with the messiness of her own family’s dilemmas as she balances their wishes against her desires. Can she find love on her own terms and do what it takes to save the day? Donut miss this book!" — Roselle Lim, author of Vanessa Yu’s Magical Paris Tea Shop
"While Jasmine and Alex’s swift romance is adorable, Jasmine's post-college struggles and feelings of uncertainty carry Tieu's thoughtful debut. The Donut Trap isn't just a tale where a boy meets a girl, and they fall in love. It’s a family story in which Tieu perfectly builds tension between Jasmine and her parents as she tries to find her own path." — Booklist
"Tieu’s writing really shines is in her explorations of complicated family dynamics—particularly for the American-born children of Chinese refugee parents—and overwhelming post-college ennui. The dialogue between Jasmine and her parents is often funny and sharp, and Tieu tackles their fraught relationships with understanding and warmth. Though Jasmine is desperate to leave Sunshine Donuts, readers will no doubt feel the opposite." — Kirkus
“While the sweet romance between Jasmine and Alex is at the core of The Donut Trap, Jas's very real family issues give it heart. Jas's failure to meet her parents' expectations, her struggles to communicate with them, and the way it impacts not just their relationship but every aspect of her life: these are all major plot points, not just details thrown in for authenticity's sake. The Donut Trap explores these issues from a place of empathy, and it comes together to create a quick rom-com read with satisfying depth.” — Popsugar
"While Jasmine and Alex’s swift romance is adorable, Jasmine's post-college struggles and feelings of uncertainty carry Tieu's thoughtful debut. The Donut Trap isn't just a tale where a boy meets a girl, and they fall in love. It’s a family story in which Tieu perfectly builds tension between Jasmine and her parents as she tries to find her own path."
"The Donut Trap is a fun romance as delicious as a perfectly glazed donut, but beneath the sweet romance, it's also a richly developed story about the diaspora experience and the overwhelming sense of aimlessness that so often comes after graduating college. It's an important coming-of-age story about walking the fine line between forging your own path and not disappointing the parents who have given up everything for you. Expect to cry and laugh, all while craving donuts!"
While the sweet romance between Jasmine and Alex is at the core of The Donut Trap, Jas's very real family issues give it heart. Jas's failure to meet her parents' expectations, her struggles to communicate with them, and the way it impacts not just their relationship but every aspect of her life: these are all major plot points, not just details thrown in for authenticity's sake. The Donut Trap explores these issues from a place of empathy, and it comes together to create a quick rom-com read with satisfying depth.
Julie Tieu’s debut is a sweet and sparkly love story about figuring out what you really want out of life and having the courage to go for it. Many readers will relate to Jasmine and her post-college struggles as she attempts to find love and a new job outside of her family’s donut shop. I loved her family and the way they supported each other, even when they didn’t always understand each other. This realistic, donut-filled romance is such a treat.”
"A sweet, heartfelt romance about following your own path and following your heart. This relatable story is perfect for anyone who's ever felt uncertainty of who they are and where they belong."
This book gave me extreme heart eyes. The Donut Trap explores the post-college doldrums in a real and refreshing way, with a cast of charming characters, a sharp sense of humor, and a romance sweeter than frosting. A delectable debut!
"Donut miss this tasty treat! Julie Tieu is going on my auto-buy list. Her writing is as fresh and warm as a newly baked glazed. You need this book now."
A sweet treat of a debut. Jasmine grapples with the messiness of her own family’s dilemmas as she balances their wishes against her desires. Can she find love on her own terms and do what it takes to save the day? Donut miss this book!"
2021-09-15
A young woman finds love, and herself, when she decides to forge a path outside her parents’ expectations.
Jasmine Tran is a 22-year-old recent college graduate with no career prospects, no boyfriend, and no clue what to do next. She knows she’s lucky to have a job at her parents’ shop, Sunshine Donuts, but she’s loath to imagine a lifetime of waking up at 5 a.m., boxing dozens of underpriced pastries, and butting heads with her parents, whose high standards she has so far failed to meet. But when Jasmine’s best friend, Linh, posts a photo with her boyfriend’s new roommate, Jasmine is shocked to see that it’s Alex Lai, the hottie she met once in college and never saw again. When Jasmine starts dating Alex, it ignites her desire to make more changes in her life—including expanding Sunshine Donuts’ clientele enough that her parents can afford to hire someone else. But when they resist her changes, a disastrous family dinner puts her relationship on the line, and an old flame reappears, Jasmine’s plans might go up in smoke. Readers expecting a sweet-as-glaze rom-com will be disappointed. While the romance between Jasmine and Alex features heavily, it's the least interesting aspect of the book. Alex is a good match for Jasmine, and readers will root for them, but there isn’t enough spark to justify the lightning-speed progress of their relationship. Where Tieu’s writing really shines is in her explorations of complicated family dynamics—particularly for the American-born children of Chinese refugee parents—and overwhelming post-college ennui. The dialogue between Jasmine and her parents is often funny and sharp, and Tieu tackles their fraught relationships with understanding and warmth. Though Jasmine is desperate to leave Sunshine Donuts, readers will no doubt feel the opposite.
This heartfelt debut is a sweet treat.
In a vibrant performance with well-paced comedic timing, narrator Natalie Naudus turns Jasmine Tran’s attempt to save her love life, career, and donut shop into a satisfying listen. Naudus’s slightly acerbic voice is well suited for Jasmine, who uses self-deprecation and sarcasm when confronting her problems. While attempting to make her family's donut shop go viral, Jasmine gets a second chance with her college crush, the seemingly perfect Alex, for whom Naudus takes on an amiable tone that matches his good-natured patience with Jasmine. Naudus gives a balanced performance; her boisterous narration becomes more reserved when portraying Jasmine’s parents who, while supportive, struggle to understand their first-generation- American daughter. Naudus’s standout audio performance will undoubtedly pull listeners into this contemporary coming-of-age story. J.E.C. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
In a vibrant performance with well-paced comedic timing, narrator Natalie Naudus turns Jasmine Tran’s attempt to save her love life, career, and donut shop into a satisfying listen. Naudus’s slightly acerbic voice is well suited for Jasmine, who uses self-deprecation and sarcasm when confronting her problems. While attempting to make her family's donut shop go viral, Jasmine gets a second chance with her college crush, the seemingly perfect Alex, for whom Naudus takes on an amiable tone that matches his good-natured patience with Jasmine. Naudus gives a balanced performance; her boisterous narration becomes more reserved when portraying Jasmine’s parents who, while supportive, struggle to understand their first-generation- American daughter. Naudus’s standout audio performance will undoubtedly pull listeners into this contemporary coming-of-age story. J.E.C. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
