The Donut Trap is a sweet blend of New Adult Romance and Women’s Fiction.
Recent college graduate Jasmine Tran hasn’t exactly figured out the rest of her life and has fallen into a rut working long hours at her family’s donut shop. When a rent hike puts the shop in jeopardy, Jasmine rises to the occasion to save the shop–while also making time for Alex, the swoony potential new love interest in her life.
There is for sure a version of this book cover without the guy on the donut because while the romance was present in this book it wasn’t the main focus of the book. Jasmine spends as much time figuring out friendships, work-life balance and adult parent-child relationships as much as she does her romantic one.
Tieu’s writing is fresh and modern. For the first time it hit me that we are entering a phase of new Gen Z romance where heroines who are a little more chill, social media savvy and aren’t as obsessed with climbing corporate ladders. I think this book would appeal to contemporary YA romance readers or teens who want to get into romance but still want the coming-of-age you get in YA. I can’t wait to see what Tieu writes next.
Yes, I totally had to grab a donut from my local old-fashin donut shop while reading this book…for research…
Side Note
I think the book is aware of its crossover appeal because it’s blurbed by Meg Cabot who I feel is more known for her teen works (even though they are MG now) than her adult titles.