Dramas & Plays
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Donut Fall in Love
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.
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.
Editorial Reviews
"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
"Jackie Lau's Donut Fall in Love is a quintessential comfort read, full of good, well-intentioned people attempting to navigate complicated family relationships, careers, friendships, and grief. This sexy, thoughtful story will also leave you very (VERY) hungry for donuts, so prepare your baked goods supply accordingly before reading."-Olivia Dade, national bestselling author of Spoiler Alert
"Full of delicious food, relatable emotions, and a satisfying happily-ever-after, Donut Fall in Love is a real treat."-Vivian Arend, New York Times bestselling author
"You'll be rooting for Ryan and Lindsay. Their romance is like the best donut: a sweet, light confection wrapped around a rich, complex center."-Jenny Holiday, USA Today bestselling author
"As sweet as buttercream and as hot as fresh donuts from the fryer, Donut Fall in Love will fill up hungry readers looking for books with decadent cakes, mouth-watering donuts, charming movie stars, talented bakers, and most of all, satisfying happily ever afters. A fun, entertaining rom-com!"-Farah Heron, author of Accidentally Engaged
"Jackie Lau delivers a delectable love story with the perfect blend of humor and emotional depth...The heat between Ryan and Lindsay doesn't stay in the kitchen and Lau's use of baking fails as the catalyst for relationship success is *chef's kiss*!"-Denise Williams, author of The Fastest Way to Fall
"Donut Fall in Love is sweet, fun and utterly delicious. Ryan and Lindsay are well-developed loveable characters and their chemistry leaps off the page from the moment they meet. With a fantastic bakery setting and a warm family element, I loved every moment of this story!"-Sara Desai, author of The Dating Plan
"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
"Jackie Lau's Donut Fall in Love is a quintessential comfort read, full of good, well-intentioned people attempting to navigate complicated family relationships, careers, friendships, and grief. This sexy, thoughtful story will also leave you very (VERY) hungry for donuts, so prepare your baked goods supply accordingly before reading."-Olivia Dade, national bestselling author of Spoiler Alert
"Full of delicious food, relatable emotions, and a satisfying happily-ever-after, Donut Fall in Love is a real treat."-Vivian Arend, New York Times bestselling author
"You'll be rooting for Ryan and Lindsay. Their romance is like the best donut: a sweet, light confection wrapped around a rich, complex center."-Jenny Holiday, USA Today bestselling author
"As sweet as buttercream and as hot as fresh donuts from the fryer, Donut Fall in Love will fill up hungry readers looking for books with decadent cakes, mouth-watering donuts, charming movie stars, talented bakers, and most of all, satisfying happily ever afters. A fun, entertaining rom-com!"-Farah Heron, author of Accidentally Engaged
"Jackie Lau delivers a delectable love story with the perfect blend of humor and emotional depth...The heat between Ryan and Lindsay doesn't stay in the kitchen and Lau's use of baking fails as the catalyst for relationship success is *chef's kiss*!"-Denise Williams, author of The Fastest Way to Fall
"Donut Fall in Love is sweet, fun and utterly delicious. Ryan and Lindsay are well-developed loveable characters and their chemistry leaps off the page from the moment they meet. With a fantastic bakery setting and a warm family element, I loved every moment of this story!"-Sara Desai, author of The Dating Plan
Readers Top Reviews
Lauren S.
I’ve been a fan of Jackie Lau since her first book, so I was overjoyed when this traditionally published book was announced, and even more overjoyed that it still had the three things I’d consider hallmarks of her work: food, family and feels. Ryan, an up and coming actor with social media worthy abs, has taken off a few months between projects to move back to Toronto to be closer to his family in the wake of his mother’s death. But while he may be physically closer, he’s not feeling that emotionally. He’s struggling to figure out how to help his pregnant sister and frustrated by his dad’s perpetual reticence. But maybe a chance encounter with a baker will at least distract him… Lindsay’s bakery is doing well, but on the personal front? Well, her business partner’s recent marriage has only highlighted how lonely she feels. One meet-disaster involving a lot of falling donuts later, at least she has a new distraction teaching a particularly handsome actor how to bake in preparation for going on a cooking show. But as the lessons progress, ovens aren’t the only thing heating up in the kitchen. “Then she’d get back to the kitchen, and when she took a break later, she would most certainly not look up what Ryan Kwok did other than take off his shirt, destroy her donuts, and insult the concept of matcha tiramisu.” I find “rom-com” to be a bit of a misnomer with Jackie Lau’s books. Sure, they’re funny and there’s a romance, but there’s also usually a focus on heavier subject matter, and that’s the case with this book as well. A large part of the book is Ryan dealing with his grief over his mother’s death earlier that year and the effects on his family. Ryan’s mom was the family glue, the one who was always reaching out and dropping by with food, and her sudden death from a heart attack has left everyone reeling. Ryan is especially floundering with his relationship with his dad, who he feels like hasn’t approved of him since he dropped out of his engineering program. His dad generally looks down on entertainment programs, especially things designed for laughs like the sitcoms and rom-coms Ryan’s acted in. Attempts to call him end in grunts or angry responses. Plus, his sister just had a baby and seems to be struggling, but Ryan has no idea how to help her, and his dad seems even more disconnected from her as well. If he can’t manage his relationships with his family, what hope does he have with a romantic relationship? The only person Ryan feels like he can open up to is Lindsay. Lindsay’s father died when she was 22, and that’s when she decided to work toward opening a bakery with her friend, so he finds it easy to talk about how much his mother loved baking shows and the reason he wants to do so well on it. Lindsay’s got her own family problems. Her mother has started dating again, and it’s bringing up a lot of weird feeling...
The Reading Chick
Donut Fall in Love has a pretty simple premise- gorgeous actor meets slightly shy baker and hit it off, but there is a lot of depth under that layer of pretty frosting. As an Asian-American actor, Ryan feels like he represents all Asians and the sub-par reviews for his starring role in a recent rom-com could be used as a reason to hold back himself and other Asians for top roles. Both of our main characters also had family issues, some of which were quite funny, and added layers to these characters that a “baking and hot actor romance” may not normally see. I was pleasantly surprised and pleased. What I did find lacking were the jokes about Ryan’s looks, his abs, and just general handsomeness. I thought this author had done a good job at setting this novel up as being relevant and different, and I thought those mentions lacked the sensitivity that the other topics brought to this novel. On the flip side, I loved all of the baking details! Those baking classes created a nice visual and made me want to run out to the closest cupcake place and snack on a dozen. Yum! Despite the plethora of baked goods that inhabited my dreams the night I finished this novel or maybe because of them, I decided I enjoyed Donut Fall in Love more than I was scared away by Ryan’s slight cheesiness and self-aggrandizing. I liked the message the author was trying to deliver in both Ryan and Lyndsay’s characters and enjoyed their love story more than I had imagined I would. So, if you are immune to baked goods and want to spend time with a hot actor and a sweet baker, check out this novel for a light-hearted romance with some hidden depths. It may surprise you as it did me! ❤️❤️❤️❣️ I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for my honest review and it was honest.
Wendy Rothschild
This book is a GREAT read--I was so engrossed that I polished it off in one sitting.
Short Excerpt Teaser
Chapter 1
When Ryan Kwok woke up on Tuesday morning, he discovered his abs had become a social media sensation.
It had started with a scathing review of his latest movie.
The best part of That Kind of Wedding? Ryan Kwok's abs. But the last thing Canada needs is another actor named Ryan.
It was his first leading role, and the critical response had been a bit of a mixed bag-okay, leaning toward negative-so this review wasn't exactly a surprise.
The review didn't appear in a major publication, but the author had started a thread on Twitter dedicated to his abs, cataloging their obvious beauty and many talents, complete with close-up shots from the trailer and his Instagram account. She appeared to be quite a fan of his abs, even if she liked nothing else about the rom-com.
And that thread? It had gone viral.
He'd had a spike in Instagram followers.
#StarringRyanKwoksAbs was trending.
People were discussing the roles his abs could play in movies, how they should appear in postapocalyptic and period pieces alike.
When he'd gone to bed at eleven last night, there hadn't been a whiff of this.
And now . . .
Well, he couldn't help but laugh.
"Good job, boys," he said, looking down at the body part that was now gaining international fame. If he was honest, they weren't quite as glorious as they'd been when That Kind of Wedding was filmed. In the past four months, he'd been following his diet and workout routine . . . mostly. But the past four months had been the worst of his life.
At least now the promotional tour was over. He'd struggled to fake a smile for late-night talk show hosts, given what was happening in his family and-
Oh, dear God.
Ryan's dad was going to see this, dammit.
Once upon a time, he'd assumed his father didn't pay attention. But a year ago, he'd caught his father looking at his Twitter account.
That was quite a shock, considering his father was anti-Twitter and all social media. In fact, Dad was anti a lot of things. He was also anti-stoner-movies, as Ryan had learned when he'd filmed The Journey of the Baked Alaska, though this hadn't surprised him one bit. And anti-sitcoms, which Ryan had known his whole life.
This hadn't changed when Ryan got his first break in Just Another New York Sitcom several years back.
Speaking of Just Another New York Sitcom . . .
He had a text from Melvin, one of his co-stars on the show.
Please convey my congratulations to your abs.
Lindsay McLeod wasn't used to seeing abs in her Instagram feed. Mostly she saw pictures of Toronto. And food. Lots of food.
She gave the photo a few seconds of attention and idly wondered if the man in question would ever eat anything as delicious as her chocolate espresso donuts, or whether such indulgences were strictly off-limits for this Ryan Kwok guy.
Then she uploaded a photo of her latest creation.
New donut alert! Here for spring: matcha tiramisu donuts
A couple of hours later, Lindsay was piping buttercream onto some chocolate raspberry cupcakes when Raquel came into the kitchen.
"Your mother's here," Raquel said, gesturing to the front of the bakery.
Excellent timing for once.
Ever since Lindsay's mom had moved downtown five months ago, she'd been popping into Kensington Bake Shop-the bakery Lindsay ran with her best friend, Noreen-on a semi-regular basis, and she had an uncanny ability to arrive at the worst possible moments. Last time, it had been literally a minute after Noreen had spilled cherry jelly on the floor, on a day when they were running way behind because of a malfunctioning oven.
But today, even though Noreen was away on her honeymoon, everything was in order, more or less. Lindsay could spare five minutes to talk to her mother.
"Oh, I should probably mention," Raquel said. "Your mother's not alone."
Yes, sometimes Lindsay's mom brought one of her friends into the bakery. She was always bragging about Lindsay's donuts, cupcakes, and other creations, and she wanted to show them off to everyone she knew. Sometimes it was a little embarrassing, but it was all good.
"In fact," Raquel continued, "I'm pretty sure she's on a date."
Say what now?
Lindsay washed her hands, then headed to the front. As always, the simple elegance of the shop made her smile. She and Noreen had argued for ages over paint chips; Noreen had eventually won, and Lindsay had to agree her friend had been right. The li...
When Ryan Kwok woke up on Tuesday morning, he discovered his abs had become a social media sensation.
It had started with a scathing review of his latest movie.
The best part of That Kind of Wedding? Ryan Kwok's abs. But the last thing Canada needs is another actor named Ryan.
It was his first leading role, and the critical response had been a bit of a mixed bag-okay, leaning toward negative-so this review wasn't exactly a surprise.
The review didn't appear in a major publication, but the author had started a thread on Twitter dedicated to his abs, cataloging their obvious beauty and many talents, complete with close-up shots from the trailer and his Instagram account. She appeared to be quite a fan of his abs, even if she liked nothing else about the rom-com.
And that thread? It had gone viral.
He'd had a spike in Instagram followers.
#StarringRyanKwoksAbs was trending.
People were discussing the roles his abs could play in movies, how they should appear in postapocalyptic and period pieces alike.
When he'd gone to bed at eleven last night, there hadn't been a whiff of this.
And now . . .
Well, he couldn't help but laugh.
"Good job, boys," he said, looking down at the body part that was now gaining international fame. If he was honest, they weren't quite as glorious as they'd been when That Kind of Wedding was filmed. In the past four months, he'd been following his diet and workout routine . . . mostly. But the past four months had been the worst of his life.
At least now the promotional tour was over. He'd struggled to fake a smile for late-night talk show hosts, given what was happening in his family and-
Oh, dear God.
Ryan's dad was going to see this, dammit.
Once upon a time, he'd assumed his father didn't pay attention. But a year ago, he'd caught his father looking at his Twitter account.
That was quite a shock, considering his father was anti-Twitter and all social media. In fact, Dad was anti a lot of things. He was also anti-stoner-movies, as Ryan had learned when he'd filmed The Journey of the Baked Alaska, though this hadn't surprised him one bit. And anti-sitcoms, which Ryan had known his whole life.
This hadn't changed when Ryan got his first break in Just Another New York Sitcom several years back.
Speaking of Just Another New York Sitcom . . .
He had a text from Melvin, one of his co-stars on the show.
Please convey my congratulations to your abs.
Lindsay McLeod wasn't used to seeing abs in her Instagram feed. Mostly she saw pictures of Toronto. And food. Lots of food.
She gave the photo a few seconds of attention and idly wondered if the man in question would ever eat anything as delicious as her chocolate espresso donuts, or whether such indulgences were strictly off-limits for this Ryan Kwok guy.
Then she uploaded a photo of her latest creation.
New donut alert! Here for spring: matcha tiramisu donuts
A couple of hours later, Lindsay was piping buttercream onto some chocolate raspberry cupcakes when Raquel came into the kitchen.
"Your mother's here," Raquel said, gesturing to the front of the bakery.
Excellent timing for once.
Ever since Lindsay's mom had moved downtown five months ago, she'd been popping into Kensington Bake Shop-the bakery Lindsay ran with her best friend, Noreen-on a semi-regular basis, and she had an uncanny ability to arrive at the worst possible moments. Last time, it had been literally a minute after Noreen had spilled cherry jelly on the floor, on a day when they were running way behind because of a malfunctioning oven.
But today, even though Noreen was away on her honeymoon, everything was in order, more or less. Lindsay could spare five minutes to talk to her mother.
"Oh, I should probably mention," Raquel said. "Your mother's not alone."
Yes, sometimes Lindsay's mom brought one of her friends into the bakery. She was always bragging about Lindsay's donuts, cupcakes, and other creations, and she wanted to show them off to everyone she knew. Sometimes it was a little embarrassing, but it was all good.
"In fact," Raquel continued, "I'm pretty sure she's on a date."
Say what now?
Lindsay washed her hands, then headed to the front. As always, the simple elegance of the shop made her smile. She and Noreen had argued for ages over paint chips; Noreen had eventually won, and Lindsay had to agree her friend had been right. The li...
