Group read: The Donut Trap * FINISHED

[Lena]

Like in the topic! Any romcom you fancy reading in a group?

[Anna]

Non in particular! Would be open to any ☺️

[LC]

I’m open too! 😃

[Emily]

Anybody interested in The Donut Trap by Julie Tieu? The Kindle ebook is on sale currently if anyone’s interested in that!

[Lena]

The Donut Trap sounds good :)

[LC]

That works!!!

[Anna]

Emily wrote: "Anybody interested in The Donut Trap by Julie Tieu? The Kindle ebook is on sale currently if anyone’s interested in that!"

Sounds good to me :)

[Anna]

When would we start?

[Lena]

I've already got my copy, so whenever you're all ready :)

[Anna]

Lena wrote: "I've already got my copy, so whenever you're all ready :)"

I can definitely make it my next read! I'd be ready to start around Sunday! I'm excited about this. It's my first buddy read and I'm really looking forward to it and finally sharing my thoughts about a book as I'm reading it

[Emily]

What about starting this weekend? We could read five chapters (opinions on this welcome!) each week until we finish the book.

[LC]

I just bought the book on eBay so it won’t arrive till 2/22/22, but I’m sure I can catch up quickly!

[Anna]

I bought the book in kindle! Starting this weekend is no problem for me. Is it 5 chapters this weekend or this week? Just to clarify :)

[Lena]

This week, I think :) so 5 chapters a week and maybe our thoughts and comments over the weekend? That should work and Laurette will have only 5 chapters to catch up on once she gets her book.

[Anna]

Sounds good to me :)

[Emily]

Yes I was thinking 5 a week! Awesome!! I’ll post my thoughts this Friday evening or Saturday!

[LC]

Yes, that works!

[Anna]

So, I've finished the first 5 chapters and admittedly, it's has taken quite some time for me to really get into the story. Mainly because for as long as I can remember, I've read about characters my age or above, dealing with similar situations as me, or situations I know I could or will come across. I don't know if this is just me, though.

However, I feel like I can relate to Jasmine even now. I especially liked how she doesn't really like how social media can feel like you need it for validation and how she mentions some friends only getting in touch when it's convenient for them. I struggled with that so much back when I was 22.

Overall I feel hopeful I'll come to fully enjoy it when I get a little more into the story. Can't wait to read what you all think.

[Emily]

I feel the same way, Anna! This story is starting off quite slowly. I’m not sure if it’s the writing style of the character, but something is making it feel like I’ve read all these pages and only a few of them were essential to the plot. I have to admit, I have had high hopes for this book and have been looking forward to reading it for a long time, but now I’m just not sure. I guess we shall see as we continue on.

I’ve been wanting to read a book with a main character in their early 20s for a while now, so it’s refreshing to read a character with similar struggles to what I went through.

I’m still holding onto hope that this book will pick up and be worthwhile!

[Anna]

Good to know it isn’t just me. What do you think about Jasmine so far?

[Emily]

I think she’s written accurately. A lot of her thoughts, feelings, and worries make sense for her age. I’m not sure if I missed it, but I am wondering why she’s not looking for a job, but I’m sure that plays into the plot somehow. What do you think of her so far?

[Lena]

I also felt like it was a slow beginning, but I started to get into it now. I'm not sure what to think about Jasmine yet... We obviously don't know everything about her yet and there's much more coming, but based on these first 5 chapters, I'm a bit confused and don't understand her. Why isn't she looking for a job? And it was mentioned that she's had some negative experiences in her past relationship, which couldn't have been that long ago, and yet she's so eager to start a new one... I don't know, it just feels a bit forced.
Anyway, I was so reluctant to stop reading after chapter 5! I felt sorry for Michael - for how Jasmine made him feel all these years ago. He seems like a decent guy and I'm kind of liking him more at the moment than Alex 😁 (I realize I'm probably alone in thinking like that, but I can smell some unfinished business here...)

[Anna]

Honestly, I don’t like both Alex and Michael so much at the moment. There’s so much I don’t get about the two of them

I want to get Jasmine, but I don’t. As well as her not standing up to her mom. My mom and I had a fit about everything around that age.

I can’t wait to see how the plot plays out, hope to have some answers in the next 5 chapters

[LC]

I finally got my book! Will work on catching up!

[LC]

Ok I read the first 5 chapters last night. That went quick. Why does reading about donuts and sprinkles make me happy? Haha. So far I'm not sure where this book is going and I feel like I really don't know the characters that well at all. Alex seems interested in Jas so I'm hoping that'll develop more and the book will become interesting. Hoping I can get through the next 5 chapters by this weekend!

[Lena]

That's great! Happy to hear you got your book and are all cought up now, Laurette.
Well, I'm on chapter 9 now and I still don't know what to think about this book, but for some reason I'm team Michael - I know he's not even one of the main characters and so far appeared in barely two short scenes, but something about Alex feels... not quite right. Don't know why, though. Lol

[LC]

So I got off work early so I read and just finished chapter 10. I do like that this book is a quick easy read. Yes now I’m getting what you’re saying about something off about Alex. Is it me or is he kissing her way too much for a first date??

[Anna]

So, I finished chapter 10 just now and I have a lot of thoughts on this one. I'm now officially team Michael. Everything about the 'relationship' between Jas and Alex feels forced and superficial. We're nearing the halfway mark of the story and I'm not hooked yet. I don't feel like I can connect with Jas, at all. I wish by now we'd have known more about her, what kind of job she's searching for, heck, what even her major was in college.
She mentions when she picks up her brother from the airport that they're both fuck ups. Why? At this point, I feel like I know more about Pat's career and choices than I know about Jas's.

However, the book still has something that makes me unable to DNF it, so that's something. I just hope for some things to fall in place later on.

Love to hear what you all think. Am I alone in this?

[Lena]

Yeah, I somehow can't connect with Jas, either. She's not your typical, likeable girl. I think she's someone you need to get to know better and only then maybe she'll grow on you.
I like that the book is a quick and easy read too, but it's not as gripping as I was hopping it to be. I am curious to find out what happens in the next chapters enough to read it together with all of you, but I have a feeling that if it wasn't a group read, I'd have probably read it by now just to be done with it.
However, I'm still not sure about Alex... He seems to say the right things (even though everything about their date was practically Linh's idea) and the way they met is quite a good beginning of a love story. But didn't you guys think that he's still thinking about his ex? If you're over someone then talking about them shouldn't get that kind of reaction. But nevermind, that might just be me trying to find the reason why I'm not his biggest fan.
Let's see what happens next!
Chapter 11, here we come!!!!

[LC]

So the dinner with Alex, Alex’s mom, Jas and her family was interesting. It’s odd that he felt the need to lie, go to her room when she wasn’t there and mess with her computer settings. Something is definitely off about him. Is it just me or Jas seems to be in her own world? She seems constantly rushed and tired.

[Lena]

I agree with you about Jas. I also don't like how she constantly feels the need to lie to her parents or hide things from them. She's an adult now - yes, she still lives with them, but she should be able to do whatever she pleases, not whatever pleases her parents. I think she should just be honest.
Another thing that still bothers me is how much Linh's name appears when Alex and Jas are together - it's like she gives him all the instructions on what he should do on dates or what he should know to score points with Jas. Isn't that a bit too much?
I agree that meeting Alex's mum was interesting. It definitely brings more to the story and made me think about who Alex is as a person rather than considering him only in regard of being Jasmine's love interest.
I am a bit confused, too. I've got so many questions about his whole Alex-Jasmine-Michael situation! Is Micheal even supposed to be in the picture at all?

[Anna]

It took me a while to finish the chapters because I just wasn’t excited to read it. I hate to say that this book has taken me into a reading slump. If it wasn’t for the group read, I would have DNFed it.

I just van relate to Jas. like mentioned by Lena I don’t like how she keeps lying to her parents. I never told my parents about first or second dates, but once they know there’s no need to lie. And then Alex. I really don’t like him. The premise worked at the start, meeting at a ticket box and running into each other later on, but like earlier, their relationship feels forced. When together, there’s no real connection or so if seems. It’s like it’s all orchestrated by Lin.

It’s nice to know I’m not the only one who isn’t jumping up and down with joy throughout this book.

[Lena]

I get what you're saying, Anna, but at least there's not that much left of it now (only 8 chapters), and I don't know about you, but I am curious to find out how it ends and what it was all about! and if there was any point in bringing Michael into this story, at all 😁
In the meantime, maybe you would like to find the next book for all of us to read right after that?

[Anna]

I’ve heard great things about ‘You deserve each other’ by Sarah Hogle.
But I’m also excited to read ‘the soulmate equation’ by Christina Lauren

[LC]

You deserve each other looks good!

[Lena]

My vote is for 'You Deserve Each other' too 👍

[LC]

I guess I’m not sure where this book is going. Is it for Jas to find a “real” job or just figure out who she is as a person. She just takes the first job her friend finds her without even looking on her own. Idk what’s wrong with just working the family donut business. I guess it’s because her parents want her to move out and don’t pay her to work at their business. Geez

[Lena]

Hm, I think she said something about her parents paying her for working there..? I'm not sure, though. But I was thinking the same thing - where is this book going? She found job, love, talked to her parents, helped the shop grow, so what else is left there in those last 3 chapters?

[Anna]

In these last five chapters I finally start to get Jas and the dynamic between her parents because of her time in college. I get the worry, the controlling and a lot more. It made me sympathize with her and I would have liked it better if it would have been shared earlier in the story. It would have allowed me to follow her growth.

I too wonder about the point of the final three chapters. Seems a bit long to show how much better life is now than before, right?

[Lena]

Has everyone finished reading it? If not - beware, some spoilers ahead. Maybe I'll just put everything in brackets....
(view spoiler)[
So in my last post I said that I was wondering what else might happen in these last 3 chapters to add to the story in any way and the answer is: nothing. Jas ended up with Alex - no surprise here, maybe some disappointment. The existance of Michael in this book was pointless. I must say, I'm so disappointed. There were some good moments - as Anna said, the story of how they met was cute, but the rest? Nothing felt right. Their dates were so mediocre (and Linh-influenced) - no wow or aaaaawww or ooohhhh or oooooolala moments. And even one of the last scenes when Alex came back earlier and they had an unexpected meeting? Jas was holding coffee and they were so awkward with each other! No happiness that he's finally back, just 'hi, what are you doing here?' Bleh ☹️
Also, I don't think that any of the characters have grown throughout the book. Jas got a job and a boyfriend, but other than finally talking to her parents, her behaviour was exactly the same at the beginning as at the end.
I feel like maybe the author wanted to put so many ideas into this book that it ended up being too much and the story turned out to be about everything and nothing, with the emphasis on the latter...

(hide spoiler)]
So even though I do think it was a quick read - it never took me long to finish these 5 chapters once I picked up the book - I didn't really enjoy reading it 😕 A Donut TRAP it was, indeed.

That being said, I really want to know what you thought and if maybe the story managed to grow on you..?

[LC]

I finished as well. Yes, the book went no where fast. I'm not sure the point of the book. It feels unfinished.

[Anna]

I fee the same as you both do. I finished this book and I still don’t know what the message of the story is.

This book has put me in a slump

[Lena]

Let's hope You Deserve Each Other will fix that slump 😉

[Emily]

I ended up sick over the past month and didn’t get a chance to finish before my copy was due back at the library. I DNF’ed it though, because it was so confusing and boring I couldn’t handle it with what little attention span I had.

I’m sorry this book wasn’t great. It was one of my most anticipated reads, but it truly fell flat.