The Dos and Donuts of Love

YA romance 

     In my battle against too much sugar in my diet, donuts 🍩 would be my downfall if there was a store like You Drive Me Glazy (featured in Adiba Jaigirdar's The Dos and Donuts of Love) within walking distance of my house 🏠 or UMaine.  

     Shireen is over the moon when she gets an email telling her that she's been accepted to be a contestant on the Junior Irish Baking Show, an on air competition where teens bake in a studio with new challenges each session and every week some are eliminated.  Practically all her life she's been working toward her goal of having a pastry shop.  This would be a real help.  And the publicity could help her parents' donut 🍩 shop, You Drive Me Glazy, recover from a very bad sales slump.

     But there are 🐍 in Paradise.  For one thing one of the other contestants is Chris, her former girlfriend.  They had had a recent acrimonious breakup that seriously impacted Shireen's self confidence.  Not only does she have to see Chris on a regular basis, but they're paired up for the first episode.

     For another thing it's a reality show where often the manufactured drama outweighs the purely culinary aspects.  After each show contestants are asked questions about each other designed to stir up a heroes and villains situation.  People in charge of the show do nothing to stop the viewer meanness expressed in comments.

     And one of the other contestants may be a saboteur.

     Ordinarily Shireen would have her best friend there to be supportive.  But Fatima is spending the summer ☀️ in Bangladesh with extended family.  Different time zones make phoning a challenge.  And when they get to talk Fatima seems distracted by being able to know her relatives for the first time in her life.

     If I were you I'd devour this sweet story along with a box of your favorite 🍩 s.

     Wonder why I am SO CRAVING a glazed lemon donut 🍩.

On a purrrsonal note, last weekend was Eugene's and my 34th anniversary.  We celebrated with a romantic weekend at camp.  On the way there and back we stopped at yard sales.  He kept paying for my stuff including a just my size perfect chair for my outside reading 📚.   I was also able to score 🙃 an amazing 🙀 🐈 😻 🐈‍⬛️ 😺 🐱 shirt.  I hope we will be lucky enough to celebrate 🍾 a lot more anniversaries.  (Jules)

Me too!!!  (Tobago)

A great big shout out goes out to Eugene.

Tobago and Jules Hathaway 

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