Author: Adiba Jaigirdar
Narrator: Priya Ayyar
Genre: Young Adult, LGBTQIA, Romance
Actual Rating: 5 stars
Spicy Meter: 1 fire emoji
Content Warnings: Discusses fatphobia, racism, xenophobia, and homophobia. Displays toxic relationships, toxic friendships, and gaslighting.
“The Dos and Donuts of Love” follows Shireen Malik, a Bangladeshi-Irish girl, as she competes in the very first Junior Irish Baking Show and is paired up against no other than her recent ex girlfriend, Chris. Facing both racist and fatphobic criticism, Shireen will try to succeed and thrive against every single contestant and come out more confident of her skill than ever.
I got to listen to an audiobook of this novel, and I was completely mesmerized and caught from the very beginning. I was right at the start of a reading slump but Priya Ayyar and her narration immediately swep me off it.
I’m not gonna lie, this book is not as predictable as you might think. Starting off, I could’ve sworn I was going to know every single twist and turn, but I am happy to say that I was thoroughly surprised more than once by this story Adiba Jaigirdar has constructed. Her characters were so well thought out and her pace quick enough that you wouldn’t get bored but also slow enough that we were left with some sneaky cliffhangers for a bit.
I would highly recommend this read for someone who’s looking for a young adult book with queer and diverse characters and who doesn’t want it to be too spicy (or spicy at all). Obviously it’s a plus if you like cooking and baking shows, but I personally don’t most of the time and I still thoroughly enjoyed “The Dos and Donuts of Love.”
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ARC provided by NetGalley and Dreamscape Media in exchange for an honest review.
andrea's galley 