Donut Fall in Love

By: Jackie Lau

Narrated by: Kenzo Lee, Carolyn Kang

"[Lau's] trope-forward contemporaries are as sugary and irresistible as the desserts her characters create." (New York Times Book Review)

A baker provides the sweetest escape for an actor in this charming romantic comedy.

Actor Ryan Kwok is back in Toronto after the promotional tour for his latest film, a rom-com that is getting less-than-stellar reviews. After years of constant work and the sudden death of his mother, Ryan is taking some much-needed time off. But as he tries to be supportive to his family, he struggles with his loss and doesn't know how to talk to his dad — who now trolls him on Twitter instead of meeting him for dim sum.

Innovative baker Lindsay McLeod meets Ryan when he knocks over two dozen specialty donuts at her bakery. Their relationship is off to a messy start, but there’s no denying their immediate attraction. When Ryan signs up for a celebrity episode of Baking Fail, he asks Lindsay to teach him how to bake and she agrees.

As Lindsay and Ryan spend time together, bonding over grief and bubble tea, it starts to feel like they’re cooking up something sweeter than cupcakes in the kitchen.

©2021 Jackie Lau (P)2021 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"The book is a perfect example of how realistic personal stakes — say, your disappointed dad starting a dry but hilarious Twitter account to roast you in public—can feel world-shiftingly large in the right hands."—New York Times Book Review

"Anyone who loves baking and rom-coms will breeze through this flavorful read.”—USA Today

“Jackie Lau’s Donut Fall in Love has the perfect proportions of emotion, heat, family ties, and romance to make one absolutely delicious treat.”—Courtney Milan, New York Times bestselling author

Donuts and Love... What more can you ask for?

Ryan Kwok and Lindsey McLeod have a great meetcute in this one. For a contemporary romance, this one is filled with some interesting things that the characters need to work through. Ryan is an actor taking a break from film to be closer to his family. I liked that this one was it wasn’t focused on Hollywood, I love when family dynamics seem really authentic in a book and they were some of my favorite parts of this story. Ryan and his dad are the best examples of this.

Lindsay was very relatable in that she acted like she had her life together but was really a mess. The way she talks about her mom and how she deals with her new roommate.

I wasn't completely sold on the romance in this book, but I did really enjoy the cooking element and the discussions related to what it's like to be Asian in the entertainment industry.

The thought the narrators did well with the characters.

Easy and fun read!

This is a very fun book. I read it in 1 day. Definitely recommend and look forward to next book by this author.

Ok story, not so great narration

Overall, the story is a feel good, main characters getting over their relationship phobia issues, character growth story. Cute meet cute and likable characters. However, the narrators were barely ok. The male narrator did a better job than the female narrator. They both narrated so slowly that I had to speed it up a bit just to make them sound normal. I did enjoy the location as I have recently visited Toronto and it was fun to hear the places I recognize!

Second, a mature content warning for anyone considering the book. I’ve read/listened to plenty of mature content romance novels that graphic sex scenes don’t usually bother me. However, I felt they were gratuitous in this book. The scenes are made worse by the narration. I ended up getting the book so I can just finish reading it instead of listening to them.

If you like light quick reads, I would suggest getting the book and reading it instead of listening to it.